EA Background Service runs on your computer 24/7 with root access & elevated privileges, supposedly to improve the user experience by preloading patches & such. So you should ask yourself: Do you trust EA Games, purveyor of pay to win microtransactions, destroyer of great game studios, premature server shutdown specialists, with root access & elevated privileges on your computer?

You should not trust them, EA Games has no soul & only exists to maximize profits. If you don't ask for or even authorize intrusive potentially predatory software, that software is malware. Spyware. Rogue. The fact that the EA Background Service installs without permission & runs 24/7 with no provision for turning it off or opting out means this is a drive-by installation, a hack. It should be illegal, if in fact it's not already illegal.

As to the Mass Effect games you get along with the spyware, they seem fine. The same as I remember. Frankly, without the spyware I think Mass Effect holds up pretty well.

But then there is that malware, the EA Background Service. It's a non-starter.

Has anyone read EA's EULA and privacy policy...? It's criminal what they give themselves rights and access to. Send this game to GOG or some other completely offline platform (being a single player, offline game)... then a "license" to play THEIR game will be worth $5. Origin launcher and internet access required, or this single player offline game won't run.

Replaying Mass Effect is like coming back together with old friends. Everyone who played the series will understand that.


If you have not touched the trilogy yet, do yourself a favor and play it. I assure you that you will be on an unforgettable journey.