Hundreds of thousands of players urge EA to revive the sci-fi franchise following BioWare shutdown

More than 187,000 fans have signed a petition urging Electronic Arts to continue producing Mass Effect after the publisher shut down longtime developer BioWare. The campaign emerged just days after the studio closed and its in-development sequel—referred to as Mass Effect 5 or Mass Effect Universe—was canceled. BioWare later confirmed the authenticity of an internal trailer that leaked alongside the closure. [1][2]

Started by fan Joe Smith on Change.org, the petition does not demand that EA reverse BioWare's closure. Instead, it asks the publisher to provide proper funding, staffing, and time to continue developing the sci-fi role-playing series internally, or to license the intellectual property to another studio willing to carry the franchise forward. [1][2]

The shutdown followed a $55 billion leveraged buyout of EA involving Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners. The subsequent corporate restructuring also brought layoffs to other EA subsidiaries, including Respawn, Maxis, Full Circle, and Motive. [1][2]