When Electronic Arts closed BioWare in October, ending nearly thirty years of RPG history in Edmonton, the grief moved online fast: a fan petition on Change.org raced past 300,000 signatures, billboards appeared in Times Square, and the hashtag #SaveMassEffect trended for days. Now the campaign has moved somewhere far more consequential than social media — the Canadian House of Commons.
An official government e-petition, initiated by Burnaby, British Columbia resident Brendan Routh and sponsored by Vancouver Kingsway MP Don Davies, is asking the Government of Canada to fund a worker buyout of the studio from EA. It has already gathered more than 2,800 verified signatures, comfortably clearing the threshold that guarantees Ottawa must respond.
What the Petition Asks Ottawa to Do
The document describes BioWare as one of Canada’s most important cultural exports of the 21st century, a studio that sold tens of millions of games worldwide and built franchises like Mass Effect, Baldur’s Gate and Dragon Age. Its closure by American parent company Electronic Arts, the petition argues, represents “an immense loss to and possibly a targeted attack on Canada’s cultural legacy”.
The requested actions are threefold. First, provide BioWare with the capital necessary to secure independence — including ownership of its intellectual property — and resume business as an independent Canadian company. Second, protect Canadian businesses and cultural institutions “from being dictated by American and foreign corporate interests”. Third, preserve what the petition calls BioWare’s invaluable contribution to global entertainment.
How an E-Petition Reaches the House of Commons
Unlike a Change.org campaign, this petition is part of the legislative process. Once an electronic petition collects 500 valid signatures from Canadian citizens or residents, it is certified, and the sponsoring MP can present it during Routine Proceedings or file it with the Clerk of the House. The government must then deliver an official response within 45 calendar days.
There are caveats. Electronic petitions are wiped if Parliament is dissolved and must be restarted, though that is not an imminent risk in Ottawa right now. The petition remains open for signatures until 4 March 2027, so the total will keep climbing.
‘This Is Absolutely Possible’, Says the Sponsoring MP
Davies, a New Democrat, has been arguing the case publicly on Bluesky and in a statement provided to the press. “Electronic Arts, their American parent company, was never invested in the success of BioWare since they purchased the studio as part of a larger acquisition in 2007,” he said. “This is a pattern with video game publishers like EA. They buy smaller developers, set unrealistic timelines, overwork their employees, and meddle in the development process, resulting in poorer quality games. Then, when sales fail to meet expectations, they blame the developers, lay off workers, and eventually shut down the studio for short-term profit.”
“The developers at BioWare know how to run their studio. They know how to make the games that fans love. They should be given the first opportunity — and the federal support — to buy it and run it themselves.” — MP Don Davies
The petition, Davies stressed, primarily asks the federal government to provide the required capital, adding: “This is absolutely possible. Our goal with the petition is to demonstrate just how many Canadians believe this is a worthwhile investment in our entertainment industry.” He is not the first politician to float the idea — NDP leadership figure Avi Lewis publicly backed government-assisted independence for BioWare workers shortly after the closure was announced.
The Obstacle: EA Is Not Selling
For all the political momentum, one fact dominates every projection: EA owns BioWare and its intellectual property, and it would take EA’s cooperation for any buyout to happen. The publisher has no history of letting studios or franchises go, and it just completed a $55 billion take-private deal backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners — hardly a moment for sentimental divestment.
The NDP is also not in government, which limits how hard Ottawa will lean on the file. The realistic best case is not a nationalised BioWare but something smaller: public pressure on EA, support for displaced developers, or recognition of the studio’s cultural contribution. Still, the 45-day clock means the Canadian government will soon have to say something on the record about one of its most celebrated creative exports — and that, the petition’s organisers argue, is already more than fans expected.
