FPS General

For everyone who's been asking after the #BF4 reveal, #DA3 and the next Mass Effect are also using Frostbite 3. It's awesome

— Aaryn Flynn (@AarynFlynn) March 27, 2013

Frostbite 3, the amazing and impressive game engine that was revealed this week to be powering Battlefield 4 is pulling some overtime with at least two other major games in the coming years; Mass Effect 4, or whatever they decide to call it, and Dragon Age 3.

We don't know much about Mass Effect 4, but we do know that it will not be centered around Commander Shepard. If you played Mass Effect 3, this much became pretty obvious. As to who it does star, we really have no idea what is planned for the next game in the iconic series. BioWare Montreal, the studio that will be handling most of the development duties, said that they, 'want to be able to give fans an opportunity to get back into the world with these things you've come to know and love about the Mass Effect experience but start something fresh and new—a new way for you to explore the whole universe in Mass Effect..

Now we can add Frostbite 3.0 to our slowly growing list of Mass Effect 4 details, but that's a pretty exciting announcement as Battlefield 4 looks incredible so far.

Stay tuned for more!

BioWare has announced that Mass Effect 3 has officially reached the end of its hearty DLC life cycle, but they're not quite done yet. The game has two final DLC packs ready to go, one each for single player and multiplayer. Let's take a look at them!

Mass Effect 3: Reckoning

This is the multiplayer expansion that will be shipping on February 26th. This update is completely free and features a bunch of new content for multiplayer, including the mighty Biotic Hammer, wielded by the new Krogan Warlord.

Other content includes:

Wield 7 new weapons for multiplayer, including the Geth Spitfire Assault Rifle, Venom Shotgun, Lancer Assault Rifle, and amplify your arsenal with new equipment and weapon mods featuring the Geth Scanner and Assault Rifle Omni-blade.

As mentioned before, this content is going to be available on February 26th on Xbox 360, PC and PlayStation 3 and is completely free of charge.

BioWare is currently working on some unannounced and untitled DLC for Mass Effect 3, according to Eurogamer and some comments made by BioWare designed Jos Hendricks.

Over on the official BioWare forums, Hendricks stated that, 'It's all hands on deck for this one. Pretty much every ME3 DLC writer here in Edmonton is involved.' This suggests that the DLC is going to be pretty heavily story-driven and will most likely extend the singleplayer campaign. The most recently released DLC, Mass Effect 3: Omega was produced by BioWare Montreal, a secondary team of developers for Mass Effect 3.With the as-yet-unannounced upcoming DLC, however, development has shifted back to BioWare Edmonton - the team responsible for core development on the Mass Effect trilogy.

If you needed further evidence that this was going to be a pretty cinematic DLC offering, series composer Sam Hulick has chimed in, saying that he has been working on fresh music for the upcoming content.

Interestingly, Seth Green has also returned for this upcoming DLC to record fresh dialogue for Joker, the pilot of the Normandy. This marks the first time that Green has returned for Mass Effect DLC, which is indeed intriguing.

Stay tuned to FPS General for more information on Mass Effect 3's upcoming DLC offering, we'll be sure to follow up as we learn more about the content.

Source: Eurogamer

BioWare has released a handful of Mass Effect 3: Omega DLC screenshots, showing off some of the environments and characters that will be a part of this massive content update.

Mass Effect 3: Omega follows the story of the Omega Space Station and Aria T'loak's attempt to take it back from Cerberus hands. As Aria struggles to take back Omega, a Space Station she once ruled, she will need to call on the aid of her old ally Commander Shepard. Omega has been taken by Cerberus troops under the leadership of one General Petrovsky, working (as you may have guessed) under the orders of The Illusive Man.

This is one of the biggest updates in Mass Effect history, and certainly the biggest for Mass Effect 3. According to BioWare's Mike Gamble, Omega is roughly twice as large as any other content update in Mass Effect 3 history.

Check out a fresh batch of screenshots after the break and let us know if you'll be picking up Mass Effect 3: Omega. The DLC is scheduled to arrive on November 27th, 2012 and will be priced at 1200MSP ($14.99).

For those of you unaware, today marks the first official N7 Day; a day in which Mass Effect fans from around the globe can come together and pay homage to the timeless sci-fi franchise. Of course, it's not a Federal holiday yet, so you should really go to work.

BioWare is celebrating the N7 Day with a ton of fun community events and celebrations, including a sneak peek of the upcoming Mass Effect 3: Omega DLC with Scott Brown of BioWare. The live stream is going to be happening today on http://www.twitch.tv/bioware at around 1:30PM Eastern Time.

Some of the other community happenings and bonus downloads include:

• Show off your N7 status with this Fan Kit, includes Wallpapers, Facebook Covers, Profile pictures, Forum Icons, and more! Download the Fan Kit here.
• Be a part of BioWare history! Submit your best Mass Effect photos, whether its N7 pride, or your best cosplay, and be featured in our official N7 Day album. Check out the album on Pinterest and submit your best shots here.
• Make sure to log into Mass Effect 3 multiplayer and participate in the N7 Day challenge and claim your N7 Day Loyalty Pack.
• Show your Mass Effect pride by submitting your photos to our N7 Day photo album!

These are just a tiny fraction of what BioWare and EA have cooked up for the first ever N7 Day. You can visit http://masseffect.bioware.com/community/n7day/ for more information on how you can partake in N7 Day and to grab your exclusive downloads!

Eurogamer is reporting that Mass Effect 3's next single player DLC will be entitled Omega and is set to be the largest, most expansive and costly DLC for the game to date.

According to the report, Mass Effect 3: Omega will be twice as large as any previous offering for the game. The DLC will see players teaming up with Aria T'loak, one time Asari ruler of Space Station Omega. Aria needs to take back control of the space station from Cerberus troops.

The story in Omega actually follows the Mass Effect 3: Invasion comic book series. In those books, General Petrovsky moved in on Omega and captured the space station for the Illusive Man. General Petrovsky will be returning in Mass Effect 3: Omega, as confirmed by Mass Effect 3 Producer Mike Gamble confirmed to Eurogamer.

Price-wise, the Omega DLC will be available for $14.99 (or 1200 MSP), making it the most expensive digital offering for Mass Effect since the Cerberus Network Pass from Mass Effect 2 which also retailed at 1200 MSP.

Source: Eurogamer

BioWare has announced that they will be releasing Retaliation, a brand new multiplayer content update for Mass Effect 3 that is going to expand the game like never before, and it's not going to cost you a dime.

Retaliation will feature a brand new faction in the infamous Collector's, as well as new weapons to unlock, new class kits to unlock, new upgrades, a new Challenge feature in multiplayer and 'Hazard' versions of existing maps. Players will be facing off against new Collector enemy classes, including Praetorian, Scion, Abomination, Trooper, and Captain.

The 'Hazard' versions of several existing maps add a new level of action to the multiplayer mode, adding various traps and hazards strewn about the map. These environment traps include dealing with things like Acid, Lightning, Meltdowns,Sandstorms, Swarms and Whiteouts. 

The Challenge feature in multiplayer adds a nice layer of social competition to Mass Effect 3:

Think you are the best soldier in the Alliance? Make sure to track your progress in the new “Challenges” database. Complete various multiplayer assignments and feats of strength to unlock titles and banners to display in-game, and then compare your progress against your friend.

The “Challenges” database tracks various in-game statistics, such as your N7 Typhoon usage. To earn challenge points, you’ll need to complete mini-goals. For example, accumulate 140,000 points while using the Typhoon in multiplayer and you’ll be rewarded with 10 challenge points.

These Challenge Points can be used to unlock new titles and banners in Mass Effect 3 multiplayer and other in-game bonuses.

Mass Effect 3: Retaliation is really quite a large update, so make sure you drop by http://blog.bioware.com/ to read the full update notes on what the content update includes in its entirety. Retaliation is scheduled to release on October 9th (or October 10th for PS3 users in Europe) and will be available completely for free.

With the recent announcement that BioWare founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk were retiring, there was more than a small number of folks wondering about the future of the studio with these two pioneers moving in a different direction. Well, if today's announcement is any indicator, things are trucking along smoothly.

The studio revealed the Mass Effect Trilogy this afternoon, a single-boxed effort encompassing every core Mass Effect game released to date. This is over 75 hours of one of the greatest sci-fi experiences a fan could ever hope for, in one package and offered at the price of a single game. Included in the offering is Mass Effect 3's highly acclaimed and incredibly fun multiplayer mode.

Heart-pounding action meets gripping interactive storytelling where you decide how your unique story unfolds. Assemble and lead your team aboard the SSV Normandy, the most advanced ship in the galaxy, and travel to distant and unexplored star systems.

On your journey, meet a cast of intriguing characters each with their own story to tell. Wield devastating weapons and customize them with upgrades to create new and devastating attacks. All the thrilling action and your decisions culminate into a heroic battle against the greatest threat ever known.

The fate of the galaxy lies in your hands—how will you chose to fight for it?

Spanning across five discs, this is the ultimate chance for players who have never stepped into the boots of Commander Shepard to begin this incredible journey.

The Mass Effect Trilogy is set to release in time for Christmas and the Holiday shopping season on November 6th, 2012. Drop by http://masseffect.bioware.com/ for more information on the upcoming boxed set Mass Effect Trilogy!

BioWare has released the first trailer for the upcoming Mass Effect 3 DLC Leviathan, due out on August 28th.

Leviathan's official product description reads:

Something lurks in the dark corners of space, something powerful enough to kill a Reaper. Shepard must discover the most closely guarded secret in the galaxy before the Reapers silence it forever. Discover more about the origins of the Reapers as you race across the galaxy to find the Leviathan. Unravel the dark history of the Reaper Race before it is too late. Coming later this summer there is no war, only the harvest.

 As players are plunged into the darkest corners of the galaxy, in pursuit of a being rumored to be powerful enough to destroy a Reaper, they will have to unravel the mystery as they race against the clock to find an answer. The DLC includes new areas of the Citadel as well as new areas of uncharted space to explore. 

Check out Mass Effect 3: Leviathan in action in the trailer above and get ready to download the content next week! Mass Effect 3: Leviathan goes live on all platforms in North America on August 28th, and in Europe on August 29th.

Presumably in honor of the 2012 Summer Olympics, currently being held in a Reaper-free London, England, BioWare is launching Operation Olympus in Mass Effect 3.

The goal of this special multiplayer challenge is to survive to extraction on Firebase London - part of the free Mass Effect 3: Earth DLC released last month.

Squad Goal: Full extraction from Firebase London using any Kit on any difficulty

Allied Goal: Using any Kit/ Map combination against any enemy, complete wave 10 on a combined community total of 200,000 Bronze missions, 175,000 Silver missions and 70,000 Gold missions.

Special Circumstance: None

Squad Goal Success: All squad members awarded a Commendation Pack
Allied Goal Success: All players awarded a Victory Pack

Those are your orders, soldier. An allied ship is en route to London for extraction. This mission commences on August 10th.

BioWare has released some new details on the Wii U version of their popular third-person shooter, Mass Effect 3. Along with these new details on the Wii U version, come some more information on upcoming DLC including screenshots of the recently announced Leviathan expansion pack.

First up, the Wii U version of Mass Effect 3. As we've previously learned, Mass Effect 3 will be a launch title on the Wii U. The game will ship with the entire core game of Mass Effect 3 as well as the Extended Cut DLC, from the outset. The Wii U version of Mass Effect 3 also includes an interactive back story, covering previous events in the Mass Effect world, as Nintendo fans have not been able to play the first two Mass Effect games on their preferred platforms.

As evidenced in the image above, the Wii U version of Mass Effect 3 will feature some exclusive features designed for use with the Wiipad controller.

Yesterday, BioWare announced Mass Effect 3: Leviathan, a brand new DLC offering that expands the singleplayer campaign. Leviathan goes in-depth with the origin of the Reapers, bringing more gameplay to their story. Below, you can check out some brand new screenshots of the Leviathan DLC. This DLC will run you $10 or 800 Microsoft points.

Electronic Arts and EA have announced some brand new campaign DLC for their popular third-person shooter, Mass Effect 3.

Mass Effect 3: Leviathan was announced at EA's Summer Showcase event (which you can stream here) and is described as:

Mass Effect 3: Leviathan is the first story-driven, single player DLC to be made available since Mass Effect 3 Extended Cut. Leviathan expands upon the events of Mass Effect 3 with gripping and emotional storytelling, compelling new characters, powerful weapons and unique upgrades. Players will be able to discover more about the origins of the reapers as they race across the galaxy to unravel the mystery that surrounds the fabled Leviathan.

We don't have much information on Mass Effect 3: Leviathan right now, but make sure to stay tuned for more information on the DLC! 

The next multiplayer operation in Mass Effect 3 has been outed; Operation Overwatch commences at 10:00AM PDT on July 27th.

Operation Overwatch will require players to pick up the Mass Effect 3: Earth DLC but it's completely free so we can't see any good reason not to pick it up to begin with. The operation goals are as follows...

• Squad Goal: Extraction on any difficulty with at least one squad member using an Earth Pack character
• Allied Goal: Extract 800,000 individual players on any difficulty, with each live member counting toward the goal.

As always, completing the Squad Goal will earn you and your squad a Commendation Pack. If the entire Alliance is able to reach the 800,000 players extracted goal, we will all earn a Victory Pack for our troubles. As you surely know, these item packs contain weapons, items, characters and much more, making it like a galactic Cracker Jack box with guns inside instead of stickers.

Will you be participating in this weekend's multiplayer operation?

If you weren't on hand in San Diego for Comic-Con, you missed a great panel from BioWare on the Past, Present and Future of their Mass Effect franchise.

Thanks to the folks at BioWare, that panel is now available to stream online. The Past, Present, Future panel features commentary and discussion from Mike Gamble (producer), Corey Gaspur (senior combat designer), Parrish Ley (lead cinematic animator), Sylvia Feketekuty (writer), Chris Hepler (writer), Jessica Merizan (community manager) and Chris Priestly (community specialist). This includes discussion on the story, some of the characters, multiplayer and even future DLC for Mass Effect 3.

The whole panel is nearly an hour long, so if you have some time to spare, it's definitely a must-watch for diehard Mass Effect fans.

Mass Effect 3's latest DLC offering Earth is now available for download across the board on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

If you're on the fence about picking this up, here are two bits of info that may change your mind. To begin with, BioWare just released a trailer for the content and it looks great. Check out the video above and if that doesn't change your mind, the know that this is a totally free DLC offering.

Mass Effect 3: Earth features...

• Three new maps, all set on Planet Earth; Rio, Vancouver and London. 
• Three new weapons; the Piranha assault shotgun, Acolyte pistol, and Typhoon assault rifle.
• Six brand new human classes, all with new powers and abilities. These classes are Destroyer Soldier, Paladin Sentinel, Demolisher Engineer, Slayer Vanguard, Shadow Infiltrator, and Fury Adept!

BioWare has confirmed that Mass Effect 3: Earth, a brand new multiplayer add-on, will be releasing on July 17th for no additional charge. This confirmation comes on the heels of Xbox Live's Major Nelson spilling the beans on his blog yesterday.

Now, however, we have details to go along with DLC titles. Mass Effect 3: Earth comes with three brand new weapons as well as new weapons, characters and equipment. The full list includes:

• Three new maps, all set on Planet Earth; Rio, Vancouver and London. 
• Three new weapons; the Piranha assault shotgun, Acolyte pistol, and Typhoon assault rifle.
• Six brand new human classes, all with new powers and abilities. These classes are Destroyer Soldier, Paladin Sentinel, Demolisher Engineer, Slayer Vanguard, Shadow Infiltrator, and Fury Adept!

Mass Effect 3: Earth is going to be available for no additional charge and hits PC, Xbox Live and PlayStation Network in North America on July 17th. In Europe, the content will go live on Xbox Live and PC on July 17th and on PlayStation Network on July 18th.

Check out some screenshots of Mass Effect 3: Earth after the break.

This weekend in Mass Effect 3, soldiers across the galaxy are being recruited for Operation Broadside, in a massive, widespread attack on the Reapers.

Operation Broadside gets underway on Friday, July 13th at 10:00 AM PT. The goals of the missions are as follows:

Squad Goal: Extract at least one squad member against Reapers on Gold difficulty
Allied Goal: Extract 400,000 squads against Reapers on ANY difficulty

Suceeding at the squad level will get each member in your squad a Commendation Pack. If the overall 400,000 squads are extracted safely, everyone will receive a Victory Pack. Operation Broadside wraps up on Sunday, July 15th at 10:00AM PT so don't miss out on your chance to deal the Reapers a crushing blow!

According to Xbox Live's Major Nelson, Mass Effect 3 will also be receiving a free multiplayer DLC add-on next week entitled Mass Effect 3: Earth. No details have been released from BioWare on this yet, but it is expected to launch on July 17th.

BioWare has released the soundtrack for the recently released Extended Cut DLC for Mass Effect 3 as a free download.

The Extended Cut DLC, if you haven't checked it out, offers some more cinematics and fleshes out the rather controversial ending of Mass Effect 3. Don't worry, no spoilers here. The Extended Cut DLC added a ton of new ending content and was available as a free download across all platforms, offering players a chance to enjoy a more complete ending to the game.

The soundtrack for this extra content is now available over at http://social.bioware.com/, all you need is a BioWare or Origin account, which you probably already have...

This is it. The once-and-for-all conclusion to the adventure that began in 2007 when EA and BioWare released the first Mass Effect game. BioWare and EA will be releasing the Extended Cut DLC tomorrow - June 26th, 2012 - bringing a conclusion to Command Shepard's exploits in the galaxy.

After the Extended Cut DLC, there will be no rewrites or revisions. For better or worse, Mass Effect's singleplayer story will come to a final close with this DLC. Many players were upset over the ending of Mass Effect 3 so BioWare is delivering a more complete ending to the game. So when can you actually start downloading the Extended Cut DLC? According to Mike Gamble, BioWare Producer, the DLC will be available starting at around 2:00AM (PT) on Xbox Live, early tomorrow afternoon for PlayStation Network users and sometime before 11:00AM (PT) or so on Origin.

Check your gaming platform of choice tomorrow to make sure that the content is available and enjoy!