In the opening days of October's end, a fan petition called #SaveMassEffect gathered more than 200,000 verified signatures, a quiet but unmistakable act of collective memory after Electronic Arts closed BioWare and set aside Mass Effect 5. The series, a decades-old chronicle of a galaxy fighting the Reapers, has long lived in the hearts of players who saw in Commander Shepard a reflection of their own choices. Its voice came partly from the actors who gave Shepard a voice, Jennifer Hale and Mark Meer, who turned personal grief into a hope that something might be rebuilt. Whether a publisher wi
Mass Effect's Commander Shepard Actors and Destiny Fans Push #SaveMassEffect Petition Past 200,000 Signatures
Save Mass Effect. Hold the line.
Mark
Two hundred thousand signatures in one weekend. Is that the headline?
Mimi
It's the number, but the people behind it matter too. Jennifer Hale and Mark Meer, the two Shepards, both put out videos with the hashtag.
Luke
Worth noting the figure is the petition's own count of verified signers as of publication. It's a measure of attention, not of any commitment from EA.
Mark
What did Hale actually propose?
Mimi
A picture of a fan Kickstarter, then investors, then a game company, and finally a collective that revives Mass Effect. She framed it as something she likes to think about.
Luke
Right, that's a hope, not a plan. Nothing in the reporting says anyone is organizing that.
Mark
Why are Destiny players involved?
Mimi
They organized earlier this year when Sony moved to end Destiny 2 content, and last month Bungie said it was revisiting its plans after community pushback.
Luke
That's a precedent, but the article itself says revivals like this are unlikely. A different studio and a different publisher don't guarantee the same outcome.
Mark
And Owlcat Games?
Mimi
They pinned a post on The Expanse: Osiris Reborn's account asking followers to sign. A rival developer backing a cause is a notable gesture.
Luke
What we don't know is whether EA has said anything in response. The source doesn't report any reply.
The Pulse
- More than 200,000 verified signatures arrived in a single weekend, turning a studio closure into a loud public demand.
- Commander Shepard's own voice actors, Jennifer Hale and Mark Meer, stepped into the campaign and gave the petition a face.
- Destiny players, rival gaming communities, and the developer Owlcat Games amplified the call across social media.
- EA's response is still unknown, and a separate fan push for a boycott of the publisher is gaining momentum.
- A precedent from Bungie offers a sliver of hope, though revivals of this kind are rarely granted.
In the opening days of October's end, a fan petition called #SaveMassEffect gathered more than 200,000 verified signatures, a quiet but unmistakable act of collective memory after Electronic Arts closed BioWare and set aside Mass Effect 5. The series, a decades-old chronicle of a galaxy fighting the Reapers, has long lived in the hearts of players who saw in Commander Shepard a reflection of their own choices. Its voice came partly from the actors who gave Shepard a voice, Jennifer Hale and Mark Meer, who turned personal grief into a hope that something might be rebuilt. Whether a publisher will listen remains an open question, as all such hopes must wait on the slow judgment of those who hold the keys.
Over the first weekend of the #SaveMassEffect campaign, more than 200,000 verified people signed a Change.org petition asking Electronic Arts to keep the Mass Effect series alive. The petition followed EA's announcement that it was closing BioWare, the studio behind the role-playing series, and canceling Mass Effect 5.
Much of its momentum came from two people who have been part of the franchise for years: the actors who voiced Commander Shepard. Jennifer Hale, who played the female Shepard, shared a video imagining how fans, investors, and a game company might come together to bring Mass Effect back. Mark Meer joined her in a livestream, calling the news very sad for BioWare's home in Edmonton and for the industry, and later added his own call to sign.
The support has spread well beyond the series' own fans. Destiny players, who had organized earlier this year when Sony moved to end Destiny 2 development, have been vocal since the closure, and other gaming communities have urged fellow players to sign. Owlcat Games pinned a request on its upcoming game's account asking followers to consider it.
Whether EA will respond is unclear. There is one recent hint of hope: Bungie said it was revisiting its plans for Destiny after its community spoke up. Still, revivals like this are rarely granted, and for now the campaign shows no sign of slowing. Watchers will look for EA's response and for whether a separate boycott of the publisher takes hold.
Over the first weekend of the #SaveMassEffect campaign, more than 200,000 verified people signed a Change.org petition asking Electronic Arts to keep the Mass Effect series alive. The petition appeared after EA announced it was closing BioWare, the studio behind the role-playing series, and canceling development of Mass Effect 5.
The petition says its aim is to prominently illustrate to EA the significance of this iconic series, and to demand that it continue. Its growth owes a good deal to social media attention over just a few days, and to two people who have been associated with the franchise for decades: the actors who voiced Commander Shepard.
Jennifer Hale, who played the female Shepard in the first three Mass Effect games, posted a video over the weekend describing what she likes to imagine. Fans start a Kickstarter, a couple of investors join them, and then a game company signs on. A collective forms to bring Mass Effect back for the community and the creatives. She had already spoken about her sadness over BioWare's closure after a leaked trailer for a canceled project, Mass Effect: Universe, surfaced online. At that point she said she felt weirdly hopeful. A few days later she began using the #SaveMassEffect hashtag.
She was not alone from the start. When she first shared her reaction to EA's layoffs and the halt of the franchise's game side, male Shepard actor Mark Meer joined her on an Instagram livestream. He called it very sad news for BioWare's home base in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and for the industry as a whole. He later posted his own video with the hashtag, saying he had seen his friend Jennifer Hale post an idea and thought it a good one. His message was to save Mass Effect, hold the line, and sign the petition.
The support has reached beyond people with a direct stake in the series. Destiny players, who organized themselves earlier this year when Sony moved to end Destiny 2 content development, have been a vocal presence since BioWare's closure. Posts from other gaming communities urge anyone who has ever fought the Reapers alongside Shepard to sign. Owlcat Games, the developer of the upcoming The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, pinned a post on that game's official X/Twitter account asking followers to consider signing.
Whether any of this will move EA is unclear. IGN notes it is hard to say whether organizing on this scale could give BioWare's developers and their ideas a path forward. There is one recent precedent for hope: last month, Destiny players were surprised when Bungie said it was revisiting its plans for that franchise after its community spoke up. Revivals at this level are generally unlikely, though, and there is no telling whether Mass Effect fans will get the same result.
For now, the campaign shows no sign of slowing. Still to watch is whether EA responds to the petition, and whether the separate effort by fans to organize a boycott of the publisher gains ground.
Notable Quotes
Save Mass Effect. Hold the line. I should go, and you should go… sign that petition.— Mark Meer, male Commander Shepard actor
She imagines fans launching a Kickstarter, joined by investors and a game company, to form a collective that revives Mass Effect.— Jennifer Hale, female Commander Shepard actor (paraphrased)
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