BioWare’s Co-Founder Reckons Mass Effect Needs $200M+
BioWare co-founder Trent Oster says a new Mass Effect game could cost more than $200 million (£150m) to meet fan expectations. He also says a cheaper, simpler version is possible, as a petition to save the series passes 317,000 signatures.
BioWare co-founder Trent Oster says a new Mass Effect game could cost more than $200 million (£150m). BioWare's co-founder reckons mass fan expectations would demand top-tier "AAA" production, he wrote in posts on Twitter/X dated November 5 and 6, 2026.
The figure matters to anyone hoping a buyer could take the series from EA. Oster called it "a big number to commit up front."
What Oster said
"The scary component of Mass Effect is the audience is going to want the best of 'AAA' development," Oster wrote. He put the "rough ballpark" at $200M+, based on contemporary games.
A buyer would need more than one game to make the money work. "There has to be a bigger plan in place for the IP to make the math work," he wrote. IP stands for intellectual property, the rights to the series.
Oster also offered a cheaper route. "I think it can be done well for less than that amount with a disciplined approach and an experienced team," he said.
In a separate post on November 6, he said a game "could be done cheaper, if you kept it simple and hit the big beats." That version "wouldn't be what the team described in the Universe concept."
He said the big push would be getting the IP free. "The fans deserve more than one game," he added.
Petition keeps growing
Oster's comments come as the #SaveMassEffect campaign grows after EA decided to close BioWare and cancel Mass Effect 5. Fans want EA to keep making Mass Effect games, or to hand the series to a studio that will.
A petition credited to Joe Smith topped 185,000 signatures in just days. It has now passed 317,000. It does not ask EA to reverse the BioWare closure, but calls for "decisive action by committing to the continued development of Mass Effect."
Oster has backed the campaign. "I love seeing all the energy around #SaveMassEffect," he wrote earlier. "I think there is a still a great thesis for a well-funded RPG developer who can deliver. Makes me want to get some of the original band back together."
EA has not confirmed whether it would consider selling the IP.
Closure and fan pressure
The BioWare closure came just months after Saudi Arabia's $55bn leveraged buyout of EA. Experts had anticipated it, but it still drew widespread condemnation and messages of sympathy from across the industry.
A new report claims EA had to choose between investing in a new Mass Effect game or a new Star Wars Battlefront game. It chose the latter.
Fans are trying other routes too. Canadian fans of the studio have taken their grievances to the government, calling on the Canadian Government to step in and save BioWare. That followed a call to do so from Canada's New Democratic Party leader Avi Lewis.
