Mass Effect has found itself in a strange limbo state after EA shut down its developer, BioWare, a few weeks ago. It’s been one of the biggest gaming news stories of the year, and the cries to bring back Mass Effect have echoed across the internet. EA is no stranger to making its own IP dormant and keeping it hidden away in the shadows. Based on that track record, there is a growing fear that EA will continue its trend of sitting on unused franchises with Mass Effect. Only time will tell, but it seems like a likely possibility, especially with EA’s alleged fears about how expensive the project could be.
There are probably several reasons why the new Mass Effect game is canceled, but the rising costs were probably a major factor in the decision. After all, the next Mass Effect game was announced all the way back in 2020. Apart from teaser images and concept art, BioWare had gone six years without offering any significant updates to fans. Only after BioWare’s shutdown did a trailer for Mass Effect: Universe leak, and the game was reportedly still years away from being finished. It’s no secret that AAA game development has increasingly become more expensive at an alarming rate, but Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a perfect example of how high-quality games can be made for a fraction of the price.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Proves That a Mass Effect Revival Wouldn’t Need a Massive Budget
BioWare co-founder Trent Oster recently took to Twitter to claim that saving Mass Effect could cost around $200 million or more. That’s an eye-watering budget, and Oster’s stance is that only a truly special AAA blockbuster concept would convince EA to commit to such a hefty production cost. However, another veteran Mass Effect dev sees things differently.
Put the consoles in the correct order.
Christina Norman responded to Trent Oster’s budget concerns with a more optimistic outlook. After serving as the lead cinematic programmer for Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3, she has a rich history with the franchise. Her stance is that games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are an important reminder that blockbuster-level storytelling and gameplay can still be achieved with smaller budgets. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was one of the biggest games of 2025, and it managed to gain an immense amount of respect without having the same resources that massive studios like BioWare and other EA-owned developers have.
This is a good example of why I think another Mass Effect game could be made for well under 200 million. I mean 5x the budget of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 should be more than enough… You can always spend more, but clever small teams can get it done.
That last sentence about “clever small teams” accomplishing things on a tighter budget is something that the entire industry needs to be reminded of. Bloated budgets do not equal a good game. Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Wolverine budget reportedly cost around $300 million, and it hasn’t made a profit yet, which one would assume to be a fairly easy goal when it’s a new PS5 game centered around a popular Marvel character.
The demand for a new Mass Effect game is obviously there. Just because it would be the fifth mainline game in the series doesn’t mean it has to be a project with a massive scale and budget. Another Mass Effect can have a smaller scope, and it would be just as effective of a game as long as it has the same deep RPG mechanics and rich storytelling that the original trilogy had. AAA sequels have proven over and over that bigger doesn’t always mean better, so a smaller-budget Mass Effect project that focused on depth over everything else would be welcome by many fans with open arms.
EA Either Needs to Commit to a New Mass Effect Project or Let the IP Go
Over the years, EA has quickly become one of the most frustrating companies in the industry. Constant news stories about EA shutting down another game or studio have left fans fatigued. Now it looks like Mass Effect has to join franchises like Dead Space in the shadowy EA vaults, locked away from the masses as fans worry that they will never see the series again.
Only time will tell if EA decides to sell the Mass Effect games and franchise to another studio. I’ll be crossing my fingers, but the company’s track record also has me doubtful of such an outcome. If Mass Effect ever does return again, EA, or whichever studio gains control, hopefully take note of Christina Norman’s words. When a game gets the chance to inspire sequels and become a full-blown franchise, that doesn’t mean that the budget has to balloon to a huge size. Sometimes the best creative decisions happen when devs and artists have to work with the limited resources that are at their disposal.
- Released
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May 14, 2021
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood, Drug Reference, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Publisher(s)
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Electronic Arts
