Veteran voice actor Jennifer Hale, renowned for her role as Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect series, has voiced her reaction to the closure of BioWare and the cancellation of the forthcoming Mass Effect game. Following the leak of footage from the project, tentatively known as Mass Effect Universe, Hale expressed optimism, stating, "It's extraordinary." She added, "I’m holding hope for magic to happen. This community and you incredible vevs deserve that and more."
A "Save Mass Effect" petition on Change.org has garnered over 65,000 signatures, urging Electronic Arts to recommit to the franchise's development. This surge in fan activity follows a decade of commercial disappointments for BioWare's recent titles, including Mass Effect: Andromeda, Anthem, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard. The cancellation of the new Mass Effect, which insider reports suggested would blend covert operations with John Wick-style action, has disappointed many.
Composer Bear McCreary, known for his work on God of War and Call of Duty, commented on the possibility of laid-off BioWare developers crowdfunding a spiritual successor. While acknowledging it as a potentially good idea, McCreary expressed skepticism about its feasibility for a project of Mass Effect's scale, questioning the track record of similar crowdfunding endeavors.
Canadian politician Avi Lewis has called for federal support to enable BioWare workers to buy back the studio, criticizing the practices of private equity firms. Lewis asserted that the developers themselves possess the knowledge to revive the studio and create beloved games, and should be given priority and government assistance to do so.
The new Mass Effect game, initially revealed in 2020 and described as being in "early development," has been canceled this week. The Mass Effect TV series for Amazon's Prime Video, however, remains in development.
BioWare's closure and the cancellation of its flagship game are part of a broader restructuring at EA. The publisher is facing significant debt repayment obligations, leading to job cuts, game cancellations, and scaled-back operations. This shakeup occurred after EA was acquired by an investor consortium that includes Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners.