Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3 starred Commander Shepard. Players were able to adjust the first name of their character, but the last name would always remain Shepard. Mass Effect: Andromeda, which features a new story, stars a protagonist whose last name is Ryder.
The news was confirmed by Michael Gamble, producer of Mass Effect: Andromeda.
Mass Effect: Andromeda is due out for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in early 2017. If you missed it, catch the EA Play 2016 behind-the-scenes trailer here.