Mass Effect Fans Take Campaign To Save The Series To Times Square

Published Oct 27, 2026, 4:53 AM EDT Josh Coulson is an editor at TheGamer covering breaking news on everything from colorful platformers to the latest Lego sets. Primarily a news writer since 2018, Josh has covered just about every major game from the past decade. Now an editor, their focus has shifted to being the leading affiliate expert at the site, building relationships between TheGamer and global brands including Mattel, Funko, and The Pokemon Company. EA shut down BioWare last week, a legendary studio established more than 30 years ago, responsible for some of the most well-loved games ever made, and the inspiration behind even more. Arguably its biggest contribution to games was the Mass Effect trilogy, and with BioWare’s closure also resulting in the next Mass Effect game getting canceled, its fans are trying to save the series. A Save Mass Effect Billboard In Times Square Bioware That has quickly led to not just a petition that has amassed more than 240,000 signatures, but also a billboard in Times Square. The billboard features the #SaveMassEffect message along with a phrase that reads “Keelah si’yah”. It’s Quarian, an in-universe Mass Effect language, and it roughly translates to “By the homeworld I hope to find one day,” according to the Mass Effect Wiki. You would think that all Mass Effect fans would be over the moon to see attempts to save the series getting so much attention, but the petition and the billboard have sparked some controversy. Its organizers and supporters have been accused of only caring about the Mass Effect IP rather than BioWare and the people who helped make it. BioWare's Name Was Supposed To Be On The Billboard BioWare not getting a shoutout on the billboard is the leading reason why some fans have been accused of caring more about the games than those who created them. However, there’s a reason why the studio isn’t mentioned. One of the fans who made it happen, Kala Elizabeth, explained on Twitter, and then in an interview with IGN, that BioWare was on the original design for the Save Mass Effect billboard, but copyright laws prevented that design from making it to Times Square. “Our first design wasn't approved because of copyright, so we had to rush to create a new one,” Elizabeth confirmed on Twitter. Elizabeth clarified when speaking to IGN that the inclusion of BioWare in the original design was why the billboard needed to be tweaked. “We initially had someone else make a different graphic, but it said 'BioWare' in it, so we had to change it last minute because of copyright.” Billboard aside, we have quickly reached a point where fans are accusing those pushing for EA to realize Mass Effect is worth saving of not caring about the people who made it. Particularly fans of other BioWare creations, like Dragon Age, which aren’t getting nearly as much attention in the wake of the studio getting shuttered. As Elizabeth highlights in some of her responses on social media, the reason Mass Effect is the series getting all of the BioWare closure attention is because the shutdown was paired with a Mass Effect game getting canceled. A game that, since the shutdown was announced, has had a trailer leak along with various details that have only made those waiting six years since its reveal more upset that the game will now never be finished and released. The scenario everyone wants is for BioWare to somehow survive and for that game to be fully realized. The unfortunate reality is, right now at least, BioWare has been closed, and EA still owns the Mass Effect IP. That means if there is a future where the series will continue, it will be under a new studio. Released May 14, 2021 ESRB M for Mature: Blood, Drug Reference, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence Developer(s) BioWare Publisher(s) Electronic Arts Engine Unreal Engine 4 Franchise Mass Effect