What $250 and a Times Square Billboard Mean for Mass Effect'…
This fan-led billboard campaign shows how grassroots movements can use affordable advertising to keep a franchise in the public eye, potentially pressuring EA and raising awareness about developer lay…
This fan-led billboard campaign shows how grassroots movements can use affordable advertising to keep a franchise in the public eye, potentially pressuring EA and raising awareness about developer lay…
Key points - Mass Effect fans bought a Times Square billboard for about $250 on October 26, 2026. - The billboard displayed the Khelish phrase 'Keelah si'yah' for 15 seconds every hour. - We Are Mass Effect, founded by Ariel Peña Aguilar in summer 2025, organized the billboard. - Copyright issues forced a last-minute redesign, leading to an accidental wrong phrase. - The group plans more billboards and a QR code to the petition.
Timeline - Summer 2025: Ariel Peña Aguilar founds We Are Mass Effect community. - Last week (relative to Oct 26, 2026): EA shuts down BioWare, sparking #SaveMassEffect movement. - October 26, 2026: Times Square billboard goes live, flashing every hour at :35. - Near future: Next billboard planned with QR code to petition.
FAQ
Q: How much did the Times Square billboard cost? A: About $250, according to Ariel Peña Aguilar and Kala Elizabeth. They said cost wasn't the issue—copyright was.
Q: What does 'Keelah si'yah' mean? A: It's a Khelish phrase from Mass Effect that translates to 'by the homeworld I hope to find one day.' The group actually meant to use 'keelah se'lai.'
Q: Is We Are Mass Effect officially linked to the petition? A: No, they're not directly affiliated, but they fully support the petition and its efforts.
📰 Related Articles
GTA 6's $1M Vice City Billboard Takes Over Miami
Rockstar has erected a massive 'welcome to Vice City' sign on the Kaseya Center in Miami, costing $1 million, as part of GTA 6's marketing push.
Extraction OARPG Vaultbreakers launches a demo, announces Square Enix
s Sam found it to be a game with some potential in the sub-genre (which is saying something), and now after [… ]
Yoko Taro Reveals He 'Hid from Square Enix' While Making NieR: Automata
Yoko Taro says he dodged Square Enix interference and made the game he wanted, as NieR: Automata surpasses 10 million copies sold worldwide.
FF7 Fan Retranslation Fixes What Square Enix Never Did
A fan-made spreadsheet compares every line of Final Fantasy 7's official PC script with the Japanese original and a fan retranslation—revealing just how messy the English version really was.
Yoko Taro: How Staying Hidden From Square Enix Made Nier: Automata a Hit
Yoko Taro reveals he made Nier: Automata exactly how he wanted, avoiding Square Enix's input. The result? Over 10 million copies sold and a legendary RPG.
What Wintory's Lost Mass Effect 5 Score Means for Fans
For players, the upload offers a concrete listen to what a Mass Effect 5 score could have been, arriving just as cancellation news closes the door on the project.