{
  "id": 16641829,
  "title": "223,000+ people sign petition to \"save Mass Effect\"",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/223-000-people-sign-petition-to-save-mass-effect",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-26T18:05:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "GamesIndustry",
    "slug": "gamesindustry",
    "url": "https://www.gamesindustry.biz/223000-people-sign-petition-to-save-mass-effect"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A petition calling for the continuation of the Mass Effect video game franchise has garnered over 223,000 signatures. BioWare, the developer behind the beloved series, will be closing down after more than three decades, with the cancellation of the next Mass Effect project announced on October 21. In response, concerned fans have taken action through a Change.org petition, urging Electronic Arts (EA) to take decisive measures to protect the franchise's future. The petition's initiator, Joe Smith, emphasized the importance of committing to the continued development of Mass Effect, highlighting the need for proper funding, adequate staffing, and time allocation to uphold the franchise's high standards. Smith also suggested an alternative: allowing another studio to license the Mass Effect intellectual property (IP) and bring it back to life under their ownership. As of now, EA has not publicly addressed the closure of BioWare's major franchises, aside from confirming the cancellation of the upcoming Mass Effect game. The acquisition of Electronic Arts by investment firms PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners, valued at $55 billion, was finalized on August 4. The European Union Commission cleared the deal in July.",
  "summary": "Over 223,000 people have signed a petition asking EA to \"save Mass Effect.\" Read more",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Rock Paper Shotgun",
        "title": "Mass Effect 3 ending discourse ignored the RPG's scale, ambition, and exuberance, including that of its oddly great co-op",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/24/mass-effect-3-ending-discourse-ignored-the-rpgs-scale-ambition-and",
        "published": "2026-10-24T14:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "TechSpot",
        "title": "What the canceled Mass Effect would have been: a sci-fi spy thriller built around player choice",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/24/what-the-canceled-mass-effect-would-have-been-a-sci-fi-spy-thriller",
        "published": "2026-10-24T14:37:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "PC Gamer",
        "title": "Mass Effect 5 would have let players generate alternate timelines based on their choices in previous games, according to the series' technical director",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/mass-effect-5-would-have-let-players-generate-alternate-timelines",
        "published": "2026-10-25T12:01:33.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}