Save Mass Effect: Trent Oster puts cost at $200M+

Save Mass Effect has a new talking point. BioWare co-founder Trent Oster says a new Mass Effect that meets fan expectations could need a budget of roughly $200 million or more, while a leaner game might be possible for less.

Oster made the estimate on X on November 5 and kept expanding on it over the following days. His comments land in the middle of a growing fan movement that followed EA's decision to close BioWare and cancel Mass Effect 5.

Why is Save Mass Effect now about $200 million?

Oster's original post was blunt: "The scary component of Mass Effect is the audience is going to want the best of 'AAA' development. Rough ballpark (based on contemporaries) is $200M+." He called it "a big number to commit up front" and said there "has to be a bigger plan in place for the IP to make the math work."

Asked which games he meant, Oster pointed to Exodus and Dragon Age: The Veilguard, describing both as RPGs that cost more than $200 million.

Date	Development
November 4	Oster: it "makes me want to get some of the original band back together"
November 5	Rough ballpark of $200M+, citing Exodus and Veilguard
November 6	A simpler game could cost less; freeing the IP is the big push
November 7	N7 Day; Oster passes revision 30 of his Excel scenarios
November 8	Petition passes 317,000 signatures (Eurogamer)

Could a cheaper Mass Effect work?

Oster was careful not to treat the figure as a hard floor. He said a disciplined approach and an experienced team could deliver a good game for less. "I think a game could be done cheaper, if you kept it simple and hit the big beats," he wrote on November 6, adding that it "wouldn't be what the team described in the Universe concept".

For Oster, the real obstacle is ownership rather than budget. "The big push would be getting the IP free. The fans deserve more than one game," he said. In another reply he described the IP and the game as two parts, warning that "one without the other is just making EA money".

He also expects EA to drive a hard bargain, calling IP rights "a huge hassle" and arguing that any deal must secure a future for Mass Effect beyond one more game. We covered the scrapped project in our Mass Effect Universe report.

Is Oster actually putting a plan together?

Nothing has been announced, but his posts have certainly raised eyebrows. On November 4 he said the #SaveMassEffect energy "makes me want to get some of the original band back together". On November 6 he named designer James Ohlen as his first recruit. Then on Saturday, November 7, he said he was "running scenarios in Excel" and had just passed revision 30.

Where does the campaign stand now?

According to Eurogamer, the Save Mass Effect petition has now passed 317,000 signatures, up from the 200,000 milestone in late October. On N7 Day, November 7, the We Are Mass Effect account brought together most of the original trilogy's voice cast for a video message, and Canadian fans have been pushing the issue at government level.

EA has not confirmed whether it would consider selling the IP, so the $200 million maths remains a thought experiment for now. Still, hearing a BioWare co-founder talk openly about budgets shows the campaign is more than an emotional outburst. If you want to jump back in today, the ME3 multiplayer mod for Legendary Edition is a good place to start.

Oster's posts also revive a bigger question for the industry: can a beloved series thrive outside the publisher that owns it? The answer, for now, rests with EA.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Trent Oster think a new Mass Effect would cost?

In a November 5 post on X, Oster gave a rough ballpark of more than $200 million based on comparable games, but said a disciplined, experienced team could do it for less.

Is EA selling the Mass Effect IP?

There is no sign of that yet. Eurogamer notes that EA has not confirmed whether it would consider selling the series.

How many people have signed the Save Mass Effect petition?

According to Eurogamer's November 8 report, the petition has passed 317,000 signatures, up from 200,000 in late October.

Sources

• Trent Oster on X (November 5, 2026): $200M+
• Trent Oster on X: Exodus and Veilguard comparison
• Trent Oster on X: a cheaper game and freeing the IP
• Trent Oster on X: Excel scenarios (November 7)
• Trent Oster on X: #SaveMassEffect (November 4)
• Eurogamer: Saving Mass Effect would take $200m+