Mass Effect Petition Tops 120,000 Signatures After BioWare Closure

A fan-led campaign asking Electronic Arts to secure Mass Effect's future has passed 120,000 signatures only days after launching. The surge follows EA's decision to close BioWare and cancel Mass Effect 5, turning the petition into a visible measure of how strongly players still want the series to continue.

What happened

The #SaveMassEffect petition was created on Change.org on October 21, the same date EA announced BioWare's closure and the cancellation of Mass Effect 5. By 11:00 a.m. ET on October 24, it had exceeded 121,000 signatures. Its growth was especially sharp in the first days: more than 29,000 people signed on October 22, and the total had tripled by the following day. The campaign asks EA to either restart Mass Effect 5 with sufficient support or consider allowing another studio to carry the franchise forward through a licensing arrangement.

Why it matters

Mass Effect was not a dormant property before the cancellation. BioWare had discussed a new installment publicly for years, and in November 2025 said development remained active under a core group that included veteran developers from the original trilogy. That history helps explain the reaction: fans were not simply campaigning for a long-finished series to return, but responding to the end of a project that had recently been described as still in progress. The petition's pace shows that interest in the universe remains substantial even after its planned continuation was halted.

What to watch next

The signature count should not be mistaken for evidence that EA is preparing to reverse course. The publisher presented its October 21 decision as final, and the petition is organized by fans rather than by EA or BioWare. A six-figure total is meaningful as a demonstration of community engagement, but it does not establish that development will resume or that the property will be licensed elsewhere. The most important signal now will be whether the campaign keeps growing after its initial burst, and whether EA makes any further statement about the franchise.

Key takeaways for Mass Effect fans

• The petition had passed 121,000 signatures by October 24 at 11:00 a.m. ET.
• It was launched on October 21 following EA's announcement that BioWare would close.
• Mass Effect 5 was cancelled as part of that announcement.
• The campaign's two proposed paths are renewed EA-backed development or licensing the series to another studio.

Petition growth timeline

Expert View

The petition cannot by itself restore a cancelled game, but it gives Mass Effect fans something more concrete than nostalgia: a public record of demand at the moment EA has shut down the studio most associated with the series. For EA, the number is unlikely to force an immediate reversal. For players, however, sustained momentum could keep the question of Mass Effect's long-term future alive rather than allowing the cancellation to become the final word.