A petition to save Mass Effect has gathered over 2,00,000 signatures after EA announced its plan to shut down BioWare and cancel the next Mass Effect game. Fans of the science-fiction RPG series have rallied to try and save the franchise and asked EA to take “decisive action” and continue development on the next Mass Effect project.
The petition to save Mass Effect was started on Change.org last week and has since amassed 2,00,000 signatures. The petition, started by a user named Joe Smith, said that EA’s decision had cast a shadow over the future of the franchise and jeopardised its legacy.
“Fans around the globe have invested thousands of hours exploring the galaxy, forming deep connections with its multifaceted characters and compelling storylines. It is a franchise that has transcended the typical gamer experience, creating a community that advocates for choice, individuality, and shared adventure. The potential cessation of new developments in this universe is a devastating prospect not only for fans but for the diversity of narrative-driven games as a whole,” the petition page on the Change.org website read.
The fan petition urged EA to commit to developing Mass Effect games, either through funding a dedicated development team or licensing the Mass Effect IP to another studio. The #SaveMassEffect petition did not mention BioWare, the studio behind the RPG franchise.
Mass Effect Voice Actors Back Petition
Mass Effect fans have also been encouraged by support from Jennifer Hale and Mark Meer, actors behind the voices of female and male versions of Commander Shepard, the protagonist from the original Mass Effect trilogy, respectively. In a video message, Meer urged fans of the series to sign the petition to save Mass Effect and “hold the line.”
Last week, a trailer for Mass Effect: Universe, the next title in the franchise that was cancelled by EA, leaked online. The trailer, which claimed to feature in-engine footage and pre-production assets, showed new and returning characters from the series and familiar gameplay ideas.
EA has not commented on the leaked trailer and the fan petition. The company announced a new round of layoffs last week and said it was shutting down BioWare, where a small team of developers had been working on the next Mass Effect. Roughly 400 employees will reportedly be laid off as part of the cuts, including around 50 workers at BioWare.
