Former BioWare developers and composers rally to keep Mass Effect alive after studio closure

Electronic Arts has closed BioWare and canceled the next Mass Effect project, known as Mass Effect Universe or Mass Effect 5, as part of a restructuring plan that eliminated 400 positions across the publisher, including roughly 50 staff at the studio. The move follows Saudi Arabia's $55bn leveraged buyout of EA and has prompted players to launch the #SaveMassEffect campaign, with a petition started by Joe Smith passing 317,000 signatures. Original trilogy composer Jack Wall expressed disbelief at the shutdown and shared hopes that another publisher or studio might step in to carry the sci-fi franchise forward. [1][2]

Reviving the intellectual property would demand massive resources. BioWare co-founder Trent Oster estimated on social media that meeting audience expectations for a top-tier sequel would cost a rough ballpark of over $200 million (about £150m), though he suggested a disciplined team keeping things simple could deliver a project for less. Oster emphasized that any rescue requires securing the rights from EA, which has not confirmed whether it would sell the property. Meanwhile, franchise composer Sam Hulick revealed that BioWare had engaged him to work on an internal demo before the sudden closure, leading him to release his own rescored version of a leaked teaser to commemorate the series. [1][2][3]