# Former BioWare lead says new Mass Effect could be made for ‘well under 200 million’

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/former-bioware-lead-says-new-mass-effect-could-be-made-for-well-under-200-million/
- Published: 2026-11-11T15:07:07+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-11T21:53:10+00:00
- Original publisher: VGC
- Original article: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/former-bioware-lead-says-new-mass-effect-could-be-made-for-well-under-200-million/
- Topics: Entertainment, Gaming

## Key points

- Norman estimates a new Mass Effect could cost under $200 million.
- She points to the reported $10 million budget for Clair Obscur.
- A petition to save Mass Effect had 325,605 signatures.

## Summary

Christina Norman, a former BioWare lead designer who worked on the first three Mass Effect games, says a new instalment could be made for well under $200 million. Her estimate argues that a carefully managed, smaller team could deliver a major role-playing game at a lower cost than many recent triple-A productions.

Norman based the comparison on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which reportedly cost $10 million to develop, saying five times that budget should be more than enough for Mass Effect. At under $200 million, the game would still be the series’ most expensive; Mass Effect: Andromeda reportedly cost $100 million. The comments come amid efforts to save BioWare’s franchises after EA shut the studio and cancelled a fifth Mass Effect game; a petition to save the series had 325,605 signatures.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.