Mass Effect Petition Hits 50,000 Signatures, Backed By TV Series Showrunner

Published Oct 23, 2026, 8:32 AM EDT James Lucas is an Executive Editor at TheGamer who has worked in professional journalism since 2018. A Newcastle University graduate with a degree in Journalism, Media, and Culture, they have written hundreds of guides, news stories, and original reports, with bylines in IGN, NME, GaymingMag, and VG247, sourcing interviews with studio heads, legendary industry figures, prominent actors, and more. An expert on FPS games, Soulslikes, RPGs, and survival horror, James has intimate knowledge of a wide variety of titles, providing in-depth coverage and exclusive profiles. Some of the games they have extensively covered include: Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Elden Ring, and Fallout. They pride themselves on their consistently thorough research, leveraging nearly a decade of industry experience. You can reach them at James.t@thegamer.com On October 21, it was confirmed that EA had shut down BioWare and canceled Mass Effect 5. In the days since, there has been an outpouring of support from the industry, a leaked trailer from a former employee, calls for the studio to go independent or be sold to another publisher, and a petition that is quickly gaining traction: #SaveMassEffect. The petition, founded by Joe Smith, urges EA to "take decisive action by committing to the continued development of Mass Effect" with "proper funding, adequate staffing, and time allocation to maintain and advance the high standards the franchise is known for." Failing that, he calls on EA to license the Mass Effect IP to another studio that shares BioWare's passion and vision. Hitting over 50,000 signatures in a matter of days is impressive enough, but now the petition even has the backing of co-showrunner Daniel Casey, who shared the link to his Bluesky followers with the caption, "Keelah Se’lai" — by the home world I hope to see one day. "Mass Effect Holds A Special Place In The Hearts Of Millions Of Players Worlwide" Bizarrely, while Mass Effect 5 has been canceled, the TV series on Prime Video is still going ahead. Should the show break into the mainstream zeitgeist a la Fallout, there will be no games to coincide with it, and no studio left to develop one should EA want to capitalize on its success. Even putting aside the fact that EA has shuttered a historic studio that shaped decades of RPG storytelling, paving the way for the likes of Baldur's Gate 3, The Witcher 3, Fallout: New Vegas, and so many other beloved staples, it is an incredibly short-sighted decision given how the company was already in the midst of broadening Mass Effect's audience. It's unclear what will happen to the franchise going forward, but BioWare executive producer Mark Darrah speculated in a recent YouTube video that EA may look to sell BioWare's most iconic IP, including Dragon Age, to recoup some of the $55 billion of debt it currently holds. However, he also suggested that this mountain of debt may instead "make them more likely to just try to forget that they ever existed and bury them in the vault." In the meantime, the petition continues to gain traction, with hundreds of signatures pouring in every hour. "Mass Effect holds a special place in the hearts of millions of players worldwide," Smith wrote. "Its rich and immersive sci-fi universe, with Commander Shepard leading the iconic crew aboard the Normandy, has captivated gamers for years. However, recent revelations have cast a shadow over its future. The decline in dedicated resources and ambiguous development plans from Electronic Arts (EA) threaten to leave this beloved series at a standstill, jeopardizing its incredible legacy." Released November 20, 2007 ESRB M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Language, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Violence Developer(s) BioWare Publisher(s) Electronic Arts Engine Unreal Engine 3 Cross-Platform Play doesn't have cross-play between PC and consoles, Cross Save yes Franchise Mass Effect