Over 187,000 Fans Sign Petition Urging EA to Save Mass Effect

A petition calling on EA to keep BioWare's sci-fi RPG series alive has passed 187,000 signatures, days after the studio's closure. It doesn't ask EA to reverse the BioWare decision. It asks the publisher to commit to Mass Effect's future, either by funding development properly or by handing the IP to another studio.

BioWare's shutdown came earlier this week, just months after Saudi Arabia's $55bn leveraged buyout of EA. Industry experts had anticipated job cuts, but the closure still drew widespread condemnation and messages of sympathy from across the games business.

What the petition asks for

Joe Smith, credited with starting the petition, wants EA to take "decisive action by committing to the continued development of Mass Effect". The Change.org page spells out what that would involve: "This commitment requires proper funding, adequate staffing, and time allocation to maintain and advance the high standards the franchise is known for."

The page also offers a fallback: "Alternatively, EA could consider licensing the Mass Effect intellectual property (IP) to another studio that shares the passion and vision to keep it alive and allow it to flourish anew."

The petition's case rests on how much time players have put into the series. "Fans around the globe have invested thousands of hours exploring the galaxy, forming deep connections with its multifaceted characters and compelling storylines," it reads. It describes Mass Effect as a franchise that "has transcended the typical gamer experience, creating a community that advocates for choice, individuality, and shared adventure," and calls the potential end of new development "a devastating prospect not only for fans but for the diversity of narrative-driven games as a whole."

Claims about the cancelled game

The petition is gaining traction as details about the next Mass Effect game, reportedly titled Mass Effect Universe, continue to surface. A YouTuber who says he served on a BioWare community group called the "Mass Effect Council" posted a lengthy thread on Twitter/X. He claimed his role gave him firsthand access to what BioWare was building and let him give feedback during development. His account is unverified.

That follows the appearance of an internal trailer for Mass Effect Universe. BioWare later confirmed the trailer was real, after the studio's closure and the game's cancellation.

Cuts beyond BioWare

BioWare wasn't the only casualty. EA's job cuts also hit developers at Respawn, Maxis, Full Circle, EA Motive, and other EA-owned studios.

EA hasn't responded to the petition, and the publisher hasn't said whether Mass Effect has any future, in-house or licensed out. Whether 187,000 signatures can move a company that has just closed the franchise's home studio is unclear, but the count was still climbing at the time of writing.