Mass Effect Fans Take Their Campaign to a Times Square Billboard

Studio: BioWare (Edmonton, Canada) | Parent: Electronic Arts | Closure Announced: October 21, 2026 | Layoffs: About 400 across EA, about 50 at BioWare | Cancelled: Next Mass Effect game, The Sims Project Lotus

Since EA announced the closure of BioWare on October 21, a petition to save Mass Effect has passed 260,000 signatures. Fans also bought time on a Times Square billboard, and a Canadian party leader wants staff to buy the studio. So far, none of it has moved EA, and the closure still ends a 31-year run.

The Memo That Closed BioWare

Bloomberg first reported on October 21 that EA would cut about 400 jobs, roughly 3 percent of its staff. About 50 of those roles sat at the Edmonton studio, according to CBC.

The studio then confirmed the news on social media, as Kotaku reported. Its post said that “after more than three decades of shared adventures, BioWare is closing.”

EA’s staff letter also ended early work on the next Mass Effect game and closed the Edmonton office. In addition, it cancelled a Sims project code-named Project Lotus in favor of another one called Evergreen. EA now plans to focus on sports games, Apex Legends, and its Marvel and Star Wars projects.

The same memo also shifted resources toward shooters, with DICE and Respawn set to collaborate on a new project. Multiple sources told Variety that it is Star Wars: Battlefront 3. EA itself has not named the game, though.

A Decline That Started Before the Buyout

The studio opened in 1995, and EA bought it in 2007. Its catalog includes Baldur’s Gate, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect and Dragon Age. However, its later years were rough, starting with the troubled launch of Anthem in 2019.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard followed in 2024 and, according to EA, failed to meet sales expectations. Layoffs then hit the team both before and after that release. By the time of the closure, only a small group was still working on the next Mass Effect.

The wider pressure comes from EA’s $55 billion take-private deal, led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. According to Kotaku, the deal left EA with $18 billion in debt. It also came with a promise of $700 million in yearly savings.

Mass Effect Fans Take Their Fight to Times Square

The #SaveMassEffect petition on Change.org launched on October 21 and grew fast. By October 29, it had passed 264,000 verified signatures, as GameWatcher reported. Organizers want EA to fund the series properly or license it to an outside studio.

Notably, the petition does not ask EA to reopen the studio itself. On October 26, the fan group We Are Mass Effect and creator Kala Elizabeth ran a Times Square billboard. Supporters are also raising money for more billboards outside EA’s offices and The Game Awards.

A Government Buyout Pitch With Big Ifs

On October 23, federal NDP leader Avi Lewis called for Ottawa to help BioWare’s developers buy the studio. In MobileSyrup’s report, Lewis argues that the staff should get the first chance to run it themselves. He also blamed private equity for the shutdown.

However, Notebookcheck notes that many veterans behind the classic games left years ago. It also questions how the government would justify the cost. Moreover, as Gagadget points out, nobody knows whether EA would even sell the Mass Effect or Dragon Age rights.

Signatures Cannot Buy a License

The campaign is one of the loudest fan responses EA has faced in years. Its goal is also sensible, because it asks for a license rather than a resurrection.

Leaks of an internal Mass Effect: Universe trailer have only added urgency. Still, a petition carries no legal weight, and EA has shown no sign of changing course. Unless someone makes a real offer for the IP, fans will only ever know Mass Effect: Universe from leaks.