BioWare Fans Call on Canadian Government to Save the Studio

Canadian BioWare fans have launched an official House of Commons e-petition asking the federal government to provide financial support that could help the studio separate from Electronic Arts and resume operations as an independent Canadian company.

Petition e-7898 opened for signatures on November 4, 2026, and is scheduled to remain open until March 4, 2027. It was initiated by Brendan Routh of Burnaby, British Columbia, and authorized for online publication by Vancouver Kingsway MP Don Davies.

The petition asks the government to provide BioWare with the capital needed to secure independence from EA and regain control of its intellectual property. It also asks Canada to protect domestic businesses and cultural institutions from foreign corporate control and to preserve what the petitioners describe as BioWare’s contribution to Canadian culture and the global entertainment industry.

Those descriptions are the petitioners’ arguments, not established findings by the House of Commons or Game News Plus. A member of Parliament’s authorization allows an e-petition to be published online but does not necessarily mean that member endorses its claims.

VGC reported that the petition passed the minimum 500-signature requirement needed for eventual certification. However, the petition remains open, and the House of Commons e-petition process requires the signing period to close before the Clerk of Petitions conducts a final validation. If at least 500 valid signatures remain, the petition can be certified and then presented to the House. The government must respond within 45 calendar days only after formal presentation, or on the next sitting day if the House is not sitting.

BioWare announced its closure on October 21 after more than three decades and said early development on the next Mass Effect project was ending. EA acquired BioWare in 2007, but the current petition is specifically focused on a possible path to independence for the Canadian studio.

Should Canada provide support to help BioWare become independent from EA?