Mass Effect Is Getting A New Art Collection At A Difficult Time For Its Fans

This year's annual Mass Effect Day looks to be somber in light of the studio behind the games, BioWare, being shut down last month. But while no new Mass Effect games are currently on the horizon, you can celebrate its legacy through some classy art prints that are going up for sale ahead of N7 Day. Preorders for the Mass Effect Collection will begin on Friday, November 6, at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM BST on the Moor-Art website.

Moor-Art says it began collaborating with BioWare over a year ago to release a new selection of limited-edition posters. "What began as a celebration of an ongoing saga now feels like the bastion in the continuation of a studio's legacy," the studio said in a press release.

The collection from Moor-Art is inspired by the characters and worlds of Mass Effect, with the original artwork being produced by acclaimed artists and Mass Effect die-hard fans Matt Essom and Dan Mumford. The designs will also be available as T-shirts. The first one is by Essom, and Moor-Art says this illustration captures the spirit and emotional depth of the series, as well as the bonds forged on the Normandy as her crew traveled to unknown worlds. This will be limited to 200 hand-numbered prints worldwide, plus 30 Giclée prints with a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist.

Mumford's "Mass Effect 2" poster aims to capture the sci-fi horror elements of the confrontations against the Reapers, and it features a full ensemble of crew members. As an added touch, it'll be available in two distinct editions: one with the Normandy crew being led by the version of Commander Shepard, while the other one swaps him out for FemShep. Only 150 hand-numbered prints for each variant will be produced, alongside 30 Giclée prints of each Shepard variant, with a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist. If you miss out on both of these prints, you can grab them as T-shirts, either to wear or to frame--or both!

Meanwhile, EA announced a new sale on various items from the BioWare Gear store, which has not gone over well with the studio's fandom. While Moor-Art's collaboration was months in the making and is launching with some terrible timing behind it, EA's approach has been called out for being tone-deaf, considering that it made the call to shut down BioWare after it was acquired by an investor consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Efforts are underway to try and save the studio, and while a Change.org petition likely won't change EA's mind no matter how many signatures are attached to it, Canadian fans are attempting to convince lawmakers that the developer is worth rescuing.