A petition advocating for the continued development of BioWare's Mass Effect series has garnered over 187,000 signatures from fans. The campaign calls for Electronic Arts to take decisive action, ensuring proper funding, staffing, and development time for future installments.
The petition, initiated by Joe Smith, emphasizes the deep connection players have formed with the Mass Effect universe, its characters, and its narratives. It suggests that if BioWare cannot continue the series, EA should consider licensing the intellectual property to another studio capable of upholding the franchise's standards.
This fan initiative follows recent news regarding BioWare, including job cuts and the apparent cancellation of a next-generation Mass Effect game, internally known as Mass Effect Universe. An internal trailer for this project was confirmed to be real by BioWare after the studio's closure and the game's subsequent cancellation.
Massive layoffs also impacted other EA-owned studios, including Respawn, Maxis, Full Circle, and EA Motive, suggesting broader strategic shifts within the company. The petition aims to prevent the potential cessation of new developments in the Mass Effect universe, which fans argue is vital for the diversity of narrative-driven games.