Battlefield 6 has quietly removed planned Mass Effect cosmetic items from the game. According to Kotaku, they vanished following the announcement that EA is closing BioWare. No explanation has been provided so far.
Players had discovered these previously locked items in the game in mid-October. A post by fan Kala Elizabeth on October 13 went viral. The items included several N7 logos as patches and weapon stickers, as well as a charm of the Normandy, Commander Shepard's ship from the original trilogy. A release around N7 Day, the annual Mass Effect community celebration, was speculated.
What Happened to the Mass Effect Items in Battlefield 6?
According to Kotaku and a thread on the LowSodiumBattlefield subreddit, the cosmetics disappeared from the game files and/or in-game store after the BioWare announcement on October 21. Kotaku requested a statement from EA, but no response was available at the time of reporting. Therefore, the reason for the items' removal remains officially unconfirmed.
However, it's plausible that someone at EA or the Battlefield Studios pulled the plug. Mass Effect merchandise for N7 Day, just days after the studio was shut down and roughly 400 jobs were eliminated according to IGN, would have been a PR disaster.
Has Battlefield Seen Such a Case Before?
Yes, and that's precisely what makes this matter sensitive. Battlefield 6 has previously had a Mass Effect collaboration. Kotaku reminds us that the last one arrived shortly after EA severely downsized BioWare in 2025. Even then, many fans found it tasteless. The fact that the developer is seemingly pumping the brakes earlier this time is at least a signal that the criticism has been received.
There's also a connection to our report on the BioWare shutdown and its implications for DICE and Respawn. According to IGN, Battlefield is one of the brands EA plans to concentrate on in the future.
What Does This Mean for Battlefield Players?
Specifically, you're not missing out on anything that was already regularly available. The items were still locked and never officially announced. Whether they will reappear later in a different form, perhaps as a commemorative event, remains to be seen. According to Kotaku, some fans would have even liked the items as a memento of the studio.
From our perspective, the removal was the right decision. A collaboration profiting so soon after layoffs would have been in poor taste. What's more important is how EA continues to handle the Mass Effect brand: reports indicate the Amazon series is still moving forward.
Source: Kotaku
What do you think: Should EA have released the items anyway as a commemorative gesture? Let us know in the comments!
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