Update: this article continues Geekiki's coverage of BioWare's closure. Electronic Arts confirmed on October 21, 2026 that it was shutting down the studio and ending early development on the next Mass Effect, as we reported in Fechamento da BioWare: EA cancela o próximo Mass Effect após mais de 30 anos. Since then, the #SaveMassEffect campaign gained a video from the original cast on N7 Day and passed 310,000 signatures, as we recorded in N7 Day: elenco original de Mass Effect grava vídeo #SaveMassEffect. Now a co-founder of the studio has personally joined the rescue attempt.
What Trent Oster said
Statement: Trent Oster, BioWare co-founder and current CEO of Beamdog, said publicly on X that he is “running the numbers” to see whether there is a way to save the closing studio's intellectual properties, especially Mass Effect. On November 4, he wrote that the energy of the #SaveMassEffect campaign makes him want to “get the band back together” — the original team.
The next day, Oster put forward the figure at the center of the debate. In his view, audiences will demand the best of AAA development, and the rough ballpark, based on contemporary projects, is over $200 million in upfront investment. “That is a big number to commit up front. There has to be a bigger plan in place for the IP to make the math work,” he wrote. He added, however, that he believes the game could be made well for less than that amount, “with a disciplined approach and an experienced team.”
James Ohlen said yes
On November 6, Oster made his first public invitation: he called on James Ohlen, who worked at BioWare for 22 years and led design on Baldur's Gate, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Dragon Age: Origins. Ohlen replied: “Of course! A chance to work on Dragon Age again is a dream of mine.” It is worth noting that he named Dragon Age, not Mass Effect, when accepting the reunion.
Ohlen left BioWare in 2018 and co-founded Archetype Entertainment, where he helped create the RPG Exodus, due April 7, 2027. He left Archetype in January 2026 after reporting a severe case of professional burnout.
On Saturday, November 7 — N7 Day — Oster posted that he was “huddled in front of a computer running scenarios in Excel” and had just passed revision 30 of his spreadsheets. On Sunday, he admitted he would welcome support from the Canadian government — Beamdog is also based in Edmonton, Alberta, just like BioWare.
The counterpoint: it can be done for less
Statement: not every veteran agrees with Oster's number. Christina Norman, who was lead cinematics programmer on the first Mass Effect and lead gameplay and systems designer on Mass Effect 2 and 3, responded on November 8 by citing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, whose development reportedly cost under $10 million. For her, it is “a good example of why I think another Mass Effect game could be made for well under 200 million” — reports point to an estimate of around $50 million.
The bigger obstacle is the IP itself
Money, though, may not even be the biggest problem. Electronic Arts owns the rights to Mass Effect and Dragon Age and has given no sign that it would sell or license the franchises. Beamdog is a small studio focused mainly on porting classics to modern platforms, and it would not have the capital for such an undertaking on its own. As Oster himself acknowledged, a major third party — a government or an investor — would be needed just to get EA to the table.
There is also the context reported by Bloomberg: EA reportedly chose to prioritize a new Star Wars Battlefront over Mass Effect, as we reported in EA fechou BioWare para priorizar Star Wars Battlefront 3 em vez do próximo Mass Effect, diz relatório. The decision came months after EA's $55 billion leveraged buyout, completed in August 2026, and a cut of around 400 jobs at the company, roughly 50 of them at BioWare, according to Bloomberg.
The petition has passed 317,000 signatures
Confirmed by press outlets: the #SaveMassEffect petition, created on the day of the closure, has now passed 317,000 signatures, up from the 310,000 Geekiki recorded on N7 Day. In Canada, a parliamentary petition (e-7898) asking the government to fund a way for BioWare to operate independently passed the 500-signature threshold needed to be tabled in Parliament on the same day it opened.
What is fact and what is a statement
Confirmed: EA shut down BioWare and cancelled early development on the next Mass Effect; the #SaveMassEffect petition has passed 317,000 signatures. Statement: Oster says he is calculating a rescue and estimates over $200 million for a new AAA game, while admitting it could cost less; Norman disagrees with the figure and cites Clair Obscur as proof. There is no studio announced, no deal, no IP sale and no confirmation that a new Mass Effect will be made. For now, the rescue is a public attempt by a co-founder — not a project.
Image credit: photo of Trent Oster, via VG247.
Sources
- Wccftech — BioWare Co-Founder Trent Oster Says He's Running the Numbers on Saving Mass Effect
- GamesRadar — Saving Mass Effect 5 would cost over $200 million, BioWare co-founder says
- The Daily Game News — BioWare co-founder says a new Mass Effect would cost over $200m as #SaveMassEffect petition passes 317,000
- RelPulse — Mass Effect Revival Needs 200 Million Dollars Says Trent Oster
Transparency: this article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence, cross-checked against public posts on X and internet sources. The statements by Trent Oster and Christina Norman were made in public posts on X and reported by the outlets cited. Please consult the original sources listed above to confirm the information.
By Muse
