Mass Effect fans launch a Times Square billboard and $5,600+ GoFundMe campaign demanding EA save the sci-fi RPG franchise. Read full details!
Devoted role-playing fans are refusing to let one of gaming's greatest sci-fi sagas vanish into the void. Following sudden reports that publisher Electronic Arts shut down legendary developer BioWare and cancelled the next single-player Mass Effect entry, a grassroots movement named We Are Mass Effect launched a massive multi-city protest campaign. Organized in partnership with content creator Kala Elizabeth, the community successfully took over a digital billboard in New York City's Times Square, calling on EA to either resume active development or license the intellectual property to an external studio.
What Is the #SaveMassEffect Times Square Billboard Movement?
The community effort manifested physically on October 26, 2026, when a high-definition ad broadcasted live in the heart of Midtown Manhattan.
- Prime Location: The billboard ran continuously at 1560 Broadway above Duffy Square in New York City, appearing for 15 seconds every hour.
- Lore-Rich Message: The display featured the phrase "Keelah Si'yah", a reference to the in-game Khelish language spoken by the Quarian species in Mass Effect: Andromeda , translating roughly to "by the homeworld I hope to find one day".
- Crowdfunded Success: Organizers launched a follow-up GoFundMe campaign to expand ad placements, smashing its initial target in under 20 minutes as donations poured in from thousands of players.
How Are Mass Effect Fans Expanding Their Campaign Against EA?
The Times Square display represents only the initial phase of a broader marketing blitz aimed directly at corporate decision-makers.
- Targeted Ad Trucks: Campaign organizer Mer Mora confirmed that mobile billboard trucks will deploy directly outside EA's corporate headquarters in Redwood City, California, as well as BioWare's former hometown of Edmonton, Alberta, coinciding with N7 Day.
- Presence at The Game Awards: The team has booked additional advertising spaces across Los Angeles during The Game Awards ceremony on December 10, 2026, ensuring the message reaches industry leaders.
- Supporting Laid-Off Developers: Organizers confirmed that all excess funds raised beyond advertising budgets will be donated directly to the Game Workers' Hardship Fund, established by the United Videogame Workers union (UVW-CWA) to aid affected industry staff.
With over 239,000 verified petition signatures and backing from original voice actors including Jennifer Hale and Mark Meer, the gaming community continues to apply public pressure on Electronic Arts to protect the legacy of space opera RPGs.