The closure of BioWare and cancellation of Mass Effect 5 that followed the EA buyout have understandably left countless longtime fans of the studio and RPG series distraught – so much so, in fact, some are expressing their disappointment physically.
You might already know about the Save Mass Effect petition, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of signatures worldwide and a plethora of strong supporters – including from fellow developers. It's safe to say that many folks are quite passionate about it, seeing as the wait between the fourth Mass Effect and Universe, as the fifth was confirmed to be called, has been nearly a decade in the making so far.
So passionate, it seems, that they're taking to EA's offices with spray paint in hand. As one person over on Reddit spotted in Madrid, Spain, "#SaveMassEffect" graffiti is visible on the stone walls and ground surrounding EA.
#SaveMassEffect graffitied on ea officesfrom r/masseffect
Commenters see fans questioning whether this is the way to go about reviving the RPG, but it's actually not the only instance of people voicing (so to speak) their thoughts directly at the publisher's offices.
As a separate post on Twitter highlights, some fans are placing physical tombstones outside of EA in memory of BioWare – and other studios – reading "RIP." Underneath, you'll spot a Mass Effect quote: "It had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong."
It, admittedly, hits quite hard… and this example appears far more popular than the graffiti in Spain. As one comment reads, "Now this is good. We need more of this."
Fans have placed tombstones honoring the studios shut down by EA, including, of course, BioWare itself. The inscription on BioWare's tombstone reads: "Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong." #SaveMassEffect 💔 https://t.co/rNMMepTH1UNovember 1, 2026
Will it catch the attention of EA, though? I suppose only time will tell. And, as it stands now, it doesn't seem too likely that another publisher or company could swoop in and buy BioWare in hopes of saving the Mass Effect team.
One former dev stated that "EA never actually sells anything" and we shouldn't expect a rekindling of Universe as "they just shut things down and sit on their licenses." I'm instantly reminded of American McGee's Alice, personally.
For the time being, I just hope that all affected devs are able to land on their feet. The fate of Mass Effect is certainly a sad one, but real people are struggling here as well amid all of the chaos – and that shouldn't be forgotten, either.
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