Mass Effect Fans Buy Times Square Billboard to Protest EA and Save Series

Mass Effect fans have purchased a billboard in New York's Times Square as part of their campaign to save the series. According to IGN, the digital billboard displays the message "Keelah si'yah," a phrase from the alien Khelish language within the games.

The effort is led by a community group called We Are Mass Effect, which told IGN the Times Square ad is just their first move. Organizer Ariel Peña Aguilar said they plan to run more advertisements, including around The Game Awards later this year, per Eurogamer.

Aguilar told IGN the idea was inspired by fan campaigns for other canceled projects and that the goal is to show unity. He framed the movement as being about more than just the games, expressing concern for the developers who lost their jobs after EA closed BioWare. Organizer Kala Elizabeth also told IGN the group is aware their efforts may not change EA's mind, but they hope to keep the conversation about the studio closure and the canceled game, Mass Effect 5, in the public eye.

The campaign is supported by a petition that has gathered over 200,000 signatures, as reported by IGN and Rock Paper Shotgun. Notably, the petition does not mention BioWare by name, instead asking EA to ensure the Mass Effect series continues, which Rock Paper Shotgun suggests could mean handing the IP to another developer.