Mass Effect fan campaign hits Times Square billboards
Supporters of the Mass Effect franchise have launched a billboard campaign in New York to protest the closure of BioWare and the cancellation of a pending game project.
A grassroots petition campaign, #SaveMassEffect, has escalated to the screens of Times Square in New York City. The initiative, which has garnered over 216,000 signatures, protests Electronic Arts' decision to close the BioWare studio and scrap a high-profile game project set within the franchise.
The campaign, coordinated by the @WeAreMassEffect team and content creator Kala Elizabeth, features 15-second spots at 1560 Broadway. Organizers faced a challenge when initial designs were rejected due to copyright concerns, forcing a last-minute redesign that resulted in a prominent typo in the in-game dialect featured on the screen. Despite the error, organizers view the billboard as a vital sign of support for the developers.
The protest follows leaks detailing a cancelled Mass Effect title that featured a complex narrative centered on a galactic Cold War. With the campaign gaining visibility at a major global landmark, organizers are currently discussing crowdfunding efforts to extend the advertisements to other cities.