The campaign to salvage the Mass Effect franchise has taken a desperate turn.
Following the cancellation of the beloved Mass Effect series, fans have been campaigning to pressure Electronic Arts (EA) into bringing the franchise back to life. However, some have taken more extreme measures than others, as EA has failed to respond.
A Reddit user, u/Ok_Link9625, claimed they came across multiple instances of #SaveMassEffect graffiti around EA's offices in Madrid, Spain. They shared images showing the hashtag scrawled across the floor in front of the office entrance gates, as well as on a wall outside the building.
While many fans are for the Save Mass Effect campaign, most have disapproved of the vandalism. One moderator warned that such actions are counterproductive, adding that anyone caught could face legal consequences. Under California law, vandalism can carry up to a year in county jail and fines of up to US$50,000.
“This does nothing but make fans look crazy and dumb. Look out for fundraisers the SaveMassEffect movement does in the future and talk about the petition with people. Maybe print off some flyers which fans have made with a QR code to it. Don't do this,” a user commented under the Reddit post.
However, not everyone has outright condemned the act. In the comments, some argue that Mass Effect fans are already at 'rock bottom', and that these increasingly desperate calls for action might finally force EA to take notice.
What is the Save Mass Effect campaign?
The Save Mass Effect campaign is a community-driven movement seeking to revive the cancelled franchise by urging Electronic Arts to continue development, either with or without BioWare, or hand the licence over to another studio.
The campaign began after EA dissolved Mass Effect’s studio BioWare two weeks ago, prompting an online petition on Change.org to “Save Mass Effect”, which has gathered nearly 300,000 signatures at the time of writing.
A small fan community, We Are Mass Effect, had put up a billboard in New York's Times Square to raise awareness of the cause. The group has also outlined further plans, including advertising the campaign on a truck near EA's headquarters, alongside additional billboards planned for N7 Day and The Game Awards.
However, with the publisher yet to respond, some fans have resorted to increasingly desperate measures, including the graffiti spotted outside EA's offices in Madrid, Spain.
The cancellation of Mass Effect was reportedly driven by EA's decision to prioritise its focus towards Star Wars titles, including the rumoured in-development Battlefront 3. It also marks one of the biggest changes within the company since its US$55 billion Saudi-led buyout.
