Mass Effect fans are refusing to let their favorite franchise quietly fade into obscurity without a fight. Less than a week after EA announced the closure of BioWare and the cancellation of Mass Effect 5 (or Mass Effect: Universe as it came to be known), a fan-led campaign has taken its message to one of the most recognizable advertising spaces in the world: Times Square.
BioWare confirmed on October 21 that the studio was closing after more than 30 years, bringing an end to the team behind beloved franchises like Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. The announcement also confirmed that early development on the next Mass Effect project was ending. Around 400 jobs were lost in this takedown, including roughly 50 at BioWare.
Fans' reactions were immediate. The #SaveMassEffect petition, which calls on EA to either continue development of the game with adequate resources, or license the franchise to another studio, has surged past 240,000 signatures since its inception, and those numbers are still climbing.
On October 26, the We Are Mass Effect community and content creator Kala Elizabeth purchased a digital billboard space at 1560...
