Marcos 
BioWare is gone. On October 21, EA shut down the Edmonton studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age, cancelled the next Mass Effect and cut around 400 jobs. I’ve finished the trilogy more times than I can count, so this stings. Still, the Save Mass Effect movement is the most hopeful thing this fandom has done in years.
Yesterday was N7 Day, the first without BioWare. Fans didn’t mourn quietly. They flooded Steam, parked a billboard truck at EA and got the original cast on camera.
Why EA shut down BioWare after 31 years
EA’s staff letter talked about taking a hard look at the business. Then Bloomberg reported on October 30 that EA had to choose between Mass Effect and a new Star Wars Battlefront. EA picked the shooter, which reportedly hadn’t even entered development.
Context matters. EA’s $55 billion buyout by a consortium including Saudi Arabia’s PIF, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners left it carrying heavy debt. On a spreadsheet, a Star Wars shooter looks safer than a space opera RPG.
The leaked Mass Effect Universe trailer showed what we lost
A day later, a trailer for the cancelled Mass Effect: Universe leaked, and Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier confirmed it was real. It pitched a spy thriller in the Milky Way after the Reaper war, with Liara T’Soni front and center. That’s exactly the Mass Effect I wanted after Andromeda. Sam Hulick, one of the trilogy’s composers, re-scored it for N7 Day, and that’s the version I keep rewatching.
How the Save Mass Effect petition became a global campaign
Fan Joe Smith launched the Change.org petition on October 21 hoping for 30,000 signatures. It’s now past 314,000. The ask: EA funds a new Mass Effect properly or licenses the series to a studio that will.
Jennifer Hale and Mark Meer, both Shepards, backed it. Fans funded a Times Square billboard, a truck circled EA’s Redwood City headquarters, and another billboard is planned for The Game Awards. In Canada, House of Commons petition e-7898 passed the 500 signatures that force a government response. It asks Ottawa to fund BioWare as an independent Canadian studio.
N7 Day 2026 gave Legendary Edition its best numbers in years
The plan was a three-hour play session on November 7. Legendary Edition hit 10,380 concurrent players on Steam, about 75% above its October peak and its best mark since August 2021. For a five-year-old remaster, that’s loud, and console players don’t even count there.
I jumped in too. The Mako still bounces like a shopping cart, and Mordin still makes me grin. Then the cast video dropped, with Hale, Meer, Steve Blum, Kimberly Brooks and Brandon Keener. Hearing Garrus’s voice ask fans to keep fighting got me.
Can fans really save Mass Effect and Dragon Age?
Let’s be realistic. EA owns the IP, and Romain Toutain, the series’ former technical director, said on stream that “EA never actually sells anything.” A petition can’t fund a AAA game, but it can make a licensing deal look less risky.
What the BioWare closure means for Dragon Age
Dragon Age sits in the same limbo, minus the noise, with The Veilguard (2024) as its last entry. Former executive producer Mark Darrah thinks EA could sell both series or shelve them, and expects a wait while costs come first. Mass Effect has the better shot, because its fans just proved they show up.
My personal take
What amazes me is the speed: two petitions, billboards and a Steam spike in under three weeks. If you love RPGs where choices carry across games, Legendary Edition is still the best RPG trilogy out there, and playing it now counts. Fans of Knights of the Old Republic or Baldur’s Gate 3 will feel at home.
It’s on PC, PS4 and Xbox One, and runs on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S via backward compatibility. Did you sign or play on N7 Day? Tell me in the comments what you’d want from the next Mass Effect, and what the campaign is missing.
Frequently asked questions
Did EA shut down BioWare?
Yes. EA announced on October 21, 2026, that it was closing BioWare, as part of roughly 400 job cuts.
Is Mass Effect 5 cancelled?
Yes. Mass Effect: Universe was cancelled in early development when BioWare closed.
How many signatures does the Save Mass Effect petition have?
Over 314,000 on Change.org by N7 Day weekend, ten times its original goal.
What happens to Dragon Age after the BioWare closure?
Nothing has been announced. EA keeps the rights, and The Veilguard remains the latest game.
How can I support the Save Mass Effect campaign?
Sign the petition, share #SaveMassEffect and play Legendary Edition. Canadians can sign petition e-7898.
Where can I play Mass Effect Legendary Edition?
On PC (Steam and EA app), PS4 and Xbox One, plus PS5 and Xbox Series X|S via backward compatibility.