„It's over, Commander.” Mass Effect fans are already saying goodbye to the series after EA's takeover, and a former BioWare screenwriter shares his concerns

The hottest news in the gaming industry these days is the announcement of the buyout of Electronic Arts.

The company is going to be taken off the stock market, which usually means it can operate more freely. However, this is likely to be different in this case. This is because the entity taking over the publisher will be the TWSJ consortium, which includes the Silver Lake group, the Saudi investment fund Public Investment Fund, and the investment firm Affinity Partners, owned by Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

1. Concerns among players and developers are raised by these last two entities, which, to put it mildly, are difficult to accuse of having progressive views. This could mean a change in the creative freedom of studios owned by EA.
2. Such concerns are expressed by Patrick Weekes, who was a writer at BioWare from 2005 to 2025 (he was laid off earlier this year as part of mass cuts at the studio). He posted the following words on Bluesky:

Players themselves echo Weekes' concerns. There's a post blowing up on the Mass Effect subreddit right now, where someone shared the news about EA being bought out with the comment, "It's the end, Commander."

After the failure of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, BioWare's future was still in doubt, and Mass Effect 5 seemed to be the studio's last hope. However, with the upcoming takeover in mind, even if ME5 does well, it might not be enough. At best, it could just make the team a more attractive target for another company to snap up.

Such concerns must be widespread among EA employees, because in a letter to them, CEO Andrew Wilson assures them that "the company's values will not change" after the buyout. It's hard to believe his words, though.

Concerns of The Sims Fans

Fans of The Sims series are also worried. Famous content creators in this community have expressed their concerns regarding this acquisition. For example:

Dey:

RiRi:

Even regular players are worried. Some people are hoping that in the end, business will be the main focus, and the new owners won't try to mess with the work of The Sims creators, since the series is still making good money.

Mass Effect 5

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• Overview

• BioWare
• EA / Electronic Arts
• Mass Effect (franchise)