Mass Effect fans are expressing their concerns about the future of the Bioware space RPG franchise, following the recent sale of Electronic Arts to a private group of investors. The sci-fi RPG series was once one of the biggest franchises in gaming, putting players in the shoes of the iconic Commander Shepard as they traverse different star systems and fend off alien invasions. Mass Effect saw its peak with the original trilogy in the late 2000s and early 2010s, going largely dormant on consoles following 2017’s Mass Effect Andromeda. Now, fans have even more reason to be concerned about Mass Effect‘s future.
The blockbuster sale of Electronic Arts shocked the gaming world when the company announced it was being acquired for $55 billion USD. The developer confirmed that a deal had been finalized for a group consisting of Silver Lake, Affinity Partners, and the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund to purchase EA. The massive deal will reportedly see EA taken off the stock market, though EA’s current CEO and headquarters will reportedly stay in place. Some fans are now questioning what the acquisition means for Mass Effect‘s uncertain future.
A post shared to the Mass Effect subreddit by Reddit user Rooonaldooo99 is seeing several fans lamenting the purchase and expressing their pessimism towards the series’ future. The news elicits speculation from several fans in the comments that the private firm will sell off different branches of the developer, positing that anything from IPs to entire studios could be moved. The fans particularly lament the future of BioWare and Mass Effect, feeling that the series may now be dead after its long dormancy with EA in new hands. EA has not shared any future plans regarding its subsidiaries or franchises following the purchase.
Mass Effect Fans Are Worried About The Franchise’s Future
The massive EA acquisition will stand as one of the largest studio purchases in gaming history, rivaling the $68.7 billion paid by Microsoft to acquire Activision Blizzard. EA CEO Andrew Wilson expressed his optimism about the move for EA’s future, claiming that it is “recognition” of EA’s work to build so many fan-favorite franchises. EA has seen some significant struggles throughout recent years, however, with some under-performing games causing the company’s value to take a hit. The purchase of EA is currently expected to be finalized by late 2026 or early 2027.
Mass Effect fans could be left high and dry by the EA purchase with little in the ways of recent games to remember the franchise. Since Mass Effect: Andromeda‘s release in 2017, the franchise has only produced a remastered version of the original game, with Mass Effect Legendary Edition launching in 2021. BioWare did announce a new sequel for the Mass Effect series in late 2020, though the developer has yet to fully reveal the next Mass Effect game. Mass Effect fans can only hope that the acquisition of EA does not spell the end for the franchise.
- Released
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May 14, 2021
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood, Drug Reference, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Publisher(s)
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Electronic Arts
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