The Save Mass Effect petition on Change.org had 219,162 signatures when we checked it at 16:18 UTC on October 26, 2026. It asks Electronic Arts to either fund new Mass Effect games or license the series to another studio. Today the campaign also put a #SaveMassEffect ad on a Times Square billboard. EA has not responded.
The petition started hours after EA said it was closing BioWare and cancelling the next Mass Effect. Here is how to sign, what it asks for, and what history says.
Table of Contents
How to sign the Save Mass Effect petition
- Go to change.org/p/savemasseffect.
- Enter your name and email and press the sign button. Change.org reports these as verified signatures, so confirm your email if it asks.
- Paying is optional. Change.org offers to let you pay to promote the petition. In an October 24 update, the organizers said that money “go[es] directly to their platform, not our campaign.” They asked supporters to share it instead.
Male Shepard, voiced by Mark Meer, who told fans to sign the petition. Image: Electronic Arts / BioWare
How many signatures does it have?
| Time (UTC) | Signatures | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 21, 20:47 | Petition created | Change.org |
| Oct 24, 05:41 | 100,000 | Organizer update |
| Oct 24, 20:22 | 140,447 | Organizer update |
| Oct 26, 16:18 | 219,162 | Change.org counter, checked by us |
The page lists a goal of 300,000. Insider Gaming counted roughly one new signature every two seconds on Monday.
What does the petition ask EA to do?
A Change.org user named Joe Smith started the petition on October 21. It does not ask EA to reopen BioWare. It asks for one of two things. The first is that EA commit to “the continued development of Mass Effect” with “proper funding, adequate staffing, and time allocation.” The second is that “EA could consider licensing the Mass Effect intellectual property (IP) to another studio.” The campaign’s X account is @WeAreMassEffect.
The Times Square billboard
Today, October 26, a #SaveMassEffect ad is running on a screen at 1560 Broadway above Duffy Square in New York. According to the campaign’s X post, it plays for 15 seconds at :35 past every hour, all day. Kotaku reports that content creator Kala Elizabeth paid $250 for the slot and that supporters plan to crowdfund future stunts.
Jennifer Hale and Mark Meer back the campaign
Both Commander Shepard actors have posted support videos, IGN reports. Jennifer Hale, the voice of female Shepard, described a world where fans “create a Kickstarter,” investors and “a really cool game company” join, and “a collective is formed to bring Mass Effect back to life.” Mark Meer, the voice of male Shepard, answered: “Save Mass Effect. Hold the line… sign that petition.” PC Gamer has more from their October 21 Instagram Live, where Meer called the closure “a massive loss for Edmonton, for Canada, and for the video game industry.” Owlcat Games and Destiny players are sharing it too, IGN adds.
What has EA said?
Nothing about the petition. At 16:18 UTC, the Change.org page showed zero responses from decision makers. EA’s newsroom and its @EA, @bioware and @masseffect accounts on X had posted nothing about it. EA’s only public statement is its October 21 staff letter. It says a “small team at BioWare” was in early development on Mass Effect, and “We’ve made the decision not to move forward with this development.”
The Mako from the first Mass Effect (2007), in Legendary Edition. Meer says fans will celebrate the series' 20th anniversary next year. Image: Electronic Arts / BioWare
Will the Save Mass Effect petition work?
There are precedents on both sides.
- Fans changed Mass Effect before. After the backlash over Mass Effect 3’s ending, BioWare announced the free Extended Cut DLC in April 2012. BioWare co-founder Ray Muzyka said the studio had “time to listen to the feedback from our most passionate fans” (Gematsu).
- The Expanse, which Owlcat cited. Amazon picked up the show for a fourth season in May 2018 after Syfy cancelled it and fans campaigned to save it (Fortune). But Amazon was a willing buyer; no one has publicly offered to license Mass Effect.
- Silent Hills. A 2015 Change.org petition to restart Konami’s cancelled game passed 74,000 signatures within days (PSU). The game was never made.
- Destiny. IGN notes that last month Bungie revisited its plans for Destiny after its community spoke up.
Outlets covering the story are doubtful. PC Gamer wrote that EA “is not beholden to the demands of a digital petition.” Push Square pointed out that EA’s new private owners are cutting costs. IGN called revivals at this level “unlikely.”
What’s next
N7 Day, the series’ annual fan day, falls on November 7. Meer said fans will celebrate it this year, and that the series’ 20th anniversary will be celebrated next year. We will update this post if EA or a potential licensee responds. For what the cancelled game looked like, see our report on the leaked Mass Effect Universe trailer. For EA’s wider restructuring, see what EA confirmed about Respawn and DICE.
Sources: Change.org petition, EA, Kotaku, IGN, PC Gamer, Insider Gaming, Push Square, VGC.
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Featured image: Electronic Arts / BioWare
