Commander Shepard Voice Actors Call for Action to Save Mass Effect

The community comes together in an attempt to save Mass Effect

News of BioWare shutting down and the development of Mass Effect Universe ending hit fans hard this week. The community is coming together on a large scale in an attempt to save the beloved sci-fi action role-playing game's future. The latest high-profile supporters, Jennifer Hale and Mark Meer, the original voice actors for Commander Shephard, have joined the fight to keep Mass Effect alive and round up more fan support.

The Electronic Arts buyout by Saudi Arabia's PIF and private equity made fans uneasy regarding the future of several franchises. And rightfully so, as only a few months in, development studio BioWare was shut down, and its most anticipated project, a new Mass Effect game, was canceled.

The Mass Effect trilogy consists of three revolutionary, narrative-heavy, sci-fi games. It has unique characters with whom players can form strong connections and rich lore that makes for a complex yet engrossing story. Even though Mass Effect 5 (now known as Mass Effect: Universe) was announced nearly six years ago, it's no surprise that fans were still very much looking forward to it and were heartbroken to discover that the project would not be moving forward. The fanbase is currently doing what it can to save Mass Effect. The scale of the movement is bigger than anyone could've expected — even the Canadian government is considering coming to BioWare's aid.

Commander Shepard voice actors want to revive Mass Effect

A fan petition is gaining traction on social media, accumulating 130,000 signatures within three days. Jennifer Hale, Commander Shepard's voice actress, has spoken up on X about the matter, asking fans to help "bring Mass Effect back to life."

"You know what I like to think about? I like to think about a world where the fans come together to create a Kickstarter and then a couple of investors join them, and then a really cool game company joins them, and a collective is formed to bring Mass Effect back to life. For the community, for the creative, for all of us, and it's amazing. That's what I like to think about."

Mark Meer, who voices the male version of Shepard, quoted Hale's tweet with the perfect response. "I just saw my friend Jennifer Hale post about an idea, and I think it's a pretty good one: save Mass Effect. Hold the line. I should go, and you should go sign that petition," he says, calling back to Commander Shepard's funniest quotes.

Regardless of the backlash that the decision to shut down BioWare has created, it is unlikely that EA's cold heart will be moved by a fan petition. Still, it is beautiful to see the community fight for something they believe in. As Garrus put it, it's been a damn good ride, and hopefully, this won't be the end of it.