The "Save Mass Effect" petition has reached more than 180,000 signatures within days of BioWare's closure.

Fans Have Reached Over 180,000 Signatures to Keep Mass Effect Alive After BioWare Was Shut Down

Background: Acquisition, Shutdown, and the End of Mass Effect 5

The story moved through Facebook, X, Reddit, Pinterest, Flipboard and Email last week. Shortly after EA's acquisition by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and investment firms Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, the gaming giant shut down BioWare, the legendary role-playing game studio, and canceled Mass Effect 5. The timing made the shutdown feel like the other shoe dropping for fans: the studio's closure and the cancellation arrived in quick succession, leaving the Mass Effect series without its known path forward.

Development: Leaked Remains and a Petition for the Series' Future

Fans spent the intervening days combing through the detritus of the next game in the series' leaked remains. Some signed a change.org petition called #SaveMassEffect, which has hit over 180,000 verified signatures. The petition does not ask EA to walk back its decision to shut down BioWare. It asks the publisher to commit to the continued development of Mass Effect. Alternatively, it says EA could consider licensing the Mass Effect intellectual property to another studio that shares the passion and vision to keep it alive and allow it to flourish anew. Joe Smith's plea urged EA to take decisive action by committing to the continued development of Mass Effect.

Latest: Fan Memories, a Public-Funding Idea, and an Uncertain EA Roadmap

The petition became a lightning rod of enthusiasm for fans of the series. Savannah wrote that Garrus would have to be pried from her cold dead hands. Joe said he and his wife love the Mass Effect series, have shared Commander Shepard's story over the years, and were devastated by the news that BioWare was done and, in turn, Mass Effect 5 was not going to happen. Austin said the trilogy and even silly Andromeda made a permanent impact on his life and noted that he has been playing for 13 years.

EA is not beholden to a digital petition, and the article notes the chance that it will inspire a revolution of the heart throughout the industry's executive suites is not high. It also argues that if the publisher had held the legacy of Mass Effect, or the computer role-playing game itself, as a priority, it would not have shut down BioWare in the first place. Still, while it is hard to imagine EA doing a full reversal, it is also hard to imagine Mass Effect staying down for good, even if that may be where things are headed. Canada's New Democratic Party leader Avi Lewis suggested that BioWare should be publicly funded for the collective good.

As the campaign continues, the petition stands above 180,000 verified signatures, and the immediate broader future for games made under the EA banner looks a mite grim. The original coverage also pointed readers to 2026 games, Best PC games, Free PC games, best first-person shooter games, best role-playing games, and best cooperative games.