Fans Keep Up Push to Save Mass Effect After EA Cancels Game

Fans of the Mass Effect video game series are continuing their "Save Mass Effect" movement after publisher EA shut down BioWare and cancelled the next Mass Effect game last week, according to Eurogamer.

One of the most visible efforts is a billboard in Times Square, New York City. The #SaveMassEffect billboard is shown above the Pelé store at 1560 Broadway, in an area known as Duffy Square. It displays for 15 seconds every hour, at 35 minutes past the hour. The text on the billboard refers to the in-game ship Kellah Si'yah.

The We Are Mass Effect community group and content creator Kala Elizabeth are working together on several initiatives. Planned ideas include an advertising truck near EA's headquarters in Redwood City and another in Edmonton. There are also plans for a mobile billboard for N7 Day and an advertisement in Los Angeles for The Game Awards.

Supporters are also backing a petition. At the time of reporting, the SaveMassEffect petition had 226,000 signatures. It asks EA to commit to continued development of Mass Effect, either by funding a new game or by licensing the series to an outside studio.

The campaign's activities will be paid for by the community through a planned GoFundMe. Any money raised beyond the goal will be given to the Game Workers' Hardship Fund. That fund was opened earlier this year by the United Videogame Workers union (UVW-CWA) to support laid-off video game workers in Canada and the USA.