BioWare Removes Dead Femshep Statue From Mass Effect Store

BioWare has removed a Mass Effect statue from its merchandise store that depicted a dead Commander Shepard floating in space. It was criticized for being in bad taste.

BioWare said the statue of a deceased female Commander Shepard floating through space was meant to commemorate "some of the key and most emotional moments in the series." But that's not how fans took the announcement. Fans found it odd to sell merch based on the Mass Effect 2 opening scene, and especially so when there was no equivalent male Shepard statue made available.

"The way we announced it did not convey that properly, nor does it give the moment in the series the credit it deserves. As a result, we'll be pausing sales on the statue until we can share the larger plan with you," BioWare said.

Anyone who preordered the item before it was removed will be refunded.

Kotaku reports that a press release hyping the statue said it was meant to be a "conversation starter." Shepard was accompanied by statues for Kaidan, Thane, and the Illusive Man as part of the statue line, all of which have been removed.

The next Mass Effect game is now in development at BioWare, but it's still early days, as the game was still in pre-production as of November 2022. BioWare is also working on Dragon Age Dreadwolf.