TL;DR
Get the latest gadgets delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
An unnamed former BioWare developer told BFM that EA asked the team working on the next Mass Effect to remove a flag from a pitch video because it might cause offense. The allegation was reported by GamesRadar+ and concerns a period when a proposed EA buyout involving Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund was being discussed. The source material does not independently verify the account or establish that the flag request was made at the fund’s direction.
A former BioWare developer has alleged that EA asked the team behind the next Mass Effect to remove a flag from a pitch video because it was “too similar” to the LGBTQIA+ flag and could “cause offense.” The account, given anonymously to French outlet BFM and reported by GamesRadar+, concerns a period when a proposed EA buyout involving Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund was being discussed; the claim has not been independently verified in the material provided.
The former developer said the team had presented video proposals to new management and believed they had not persuaded decision-makers. In the developer’s account, BioWare’s reputation for inclusive storytelling contributed to skepticism about the project. The reported instruction was to remove a flag from one of the videos, rather than a statement that the game itself had been ordered to remove LGBTQIA+ characters or themes.
GamesRadar+ reported the account as an allegation, not as a confirmed description of EA policy. The developer was not named, and the source material does not provide documents, a response from EA, or independent corroboration of the specific request. The source also does not establish who made the alleged decision or whether it came from EA executives, prospective investors, or another party.
The account was tied to a proposed $55 billion EA transaction involving Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Affinity Partners and Silver Lake. The source describes this as a buyout process; it does not establish that the deal had been completed when the alleged request occurred. It also does not confirm the status of Mass Effect 5 or report a verified cancellation of the game.
What the Allegation Could Mean for BioWare
If accurate, the reported request would offer a specific example of how concerns about potential audience or investor reactions may affect creative decisions at a major game studio. BioWare has been associated with role-playing games that include diverse characters and relationships, so an instruction to alter material for fear of offense could raise questions among players about how a change in ownership might affect the studio’s approach.
But the available account is limited. It describes a flag in a pitch video, not a confirmed change to the game’s narrative, character roster or release plans. Readers should distinguish the former developer’s allegation from proof that EA or a prospective owner imposed a broader restriction on representation.
Products Worth Considering
LG UltraGear 32GX850A-B 32-Inch 4K UHD Glossy OLED Gaming Monitor
Samsung 27-inch Odyssey OLED G6 QD-OLED QHD Gaming Monitor
Samsung 27 Odyssey OLED G5 (G50SF) QHD QD-OLED Gaming Monitor
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
The Proposed EA Buyout
The report places the alleged exchange during discussions of a proposed acquisition involving EA, the Saudi Public Investment Fund, Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners and Silver Lake. GamesRadar+ described the transaction’s reported value as $55 billion. The source material does not provide a confirmed closing date or establish the final status of the proposed deal, so the allegation should not be framed as a consequence of a completed acquisition.
GamesRadar+ also cited concerns voiced by EA staff during the process that new ownership could influence which projects receive approval. Those concerns are distinct from the former developer’s account: they show that employees had expressed anxiety, but do not independently verify that the flag was removed at an investor’s request. The report further refers to past changes to The Sims packaging for Saudi Arabian audiences, but that comparison does not confirm what happened on the Mass Effect project.
Details Behind the Reported Request
The central claim remains unverified in the available reporting. The developer is anonymous, and the source material includes no email, presentation footage, named witnesses or public comment from EA. It is not clear which flag appeared in the video, who requested its removal, or whether the request was carried out.
It is also unclear whether the alleged instruction reflected EA’s own decision, a response to prospective investors, or another concern. The report does not show that the incident led to changes in the game’s content. Nor does the supplied material confirm the game’s cancellation, the closure of BioWare, or the current development status of the next Mass Effect; those claims cannot be treated as established facts based on this account.
EA and BioWare Response
The next useful development would be a response from EA or further reporting that can corroborate the former developer’s account and clarify when the request occurred. A direct response could also establish whether the instruction came from EA, prospective investors or another source. Until then, the report is best understood as an allegation about one element of a presentation, not a confirmed description of the game’s final content or corporate policy.
For players, the project’s development status and any official information about its creative direction remain separate questions. The source material provides no confirmed announcement on those points, so further details would need to come from EA or BioWare.
Key Questions
What did the former BioWare developer allege?
The anonymous developer said EA asked the team working on the next Mass Effect to remove a flag from a pitch video because it was too similar to the LGBTQIA+ flag and might cause offense.
Has the flag request been independently confirmed?
No independent confirmation appears in the supplied reporting. The account was attributed to an unnamed former developer speaking to BFM and was reported by GamesRadar+.
Does the allegation mean LGBTQIA+ content was removed from the game?
The report describes an alleged change to a pitch video. It does not confirm that LGBTQIA+ characters, themes or other content were removed from the game.
Was the proposed EA buyout completed?
The source material describes a proposed $55 billion transaction involving the Saudi Public Investment Fund, Affinity Partners and Silver Lake. It does not establish that the deal had closed when the alleged request was made or confirm its final status.
Source: fediverse
