New Mass Effect 3 team-mate James Vega

By Robert Purchese Published 18 July, 2011

Formerly known as James Sanders.

New Mass Effect 3 team-mate James Sanders is now known as James Vega, BioWare has revealed.

The Sanders name was used while "we were still designing his character", explained Mass Effect series chief Casey Hudson.

Does that mean Vega now has no theoretical ties to Mass Effect fiction heroine Kahlee Sanders?

Vega, a white human male with a bodybuilder's physique, represents a new player's perspective to the acclaimed space RPG trilogy.

In combat he'll be a defensive soldier who focuses on survivability rather than fire power, tweeted Preston Watamaniuk, lead designer of the Mass Effect series.

Vega has met with divided opinion so far - he's not the most handsome bloke on the block, nor does he sound to be particularly exotic or exciting.

Responding to the reaction, Casey Hudson tweeted: "Enjoyed your first impressions of Vega!

"We have fun with our ensemble casts: chars are designed to be loved by some players but not all."

Vega will be clad head to toe in sturdy black armour that focuses on function over frills. An alternate appearance available with the Collector's Edition has Vega wearing a skin-tight t-shirt and black combat trousers.

Mass Effect 3 will be playable at this year's Eurogamer Expo, which takes place on 22nd to 25th September in London's Earl's Court arena. Grab a £10 day ticket sooner rather than later if you're interested.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (43) Latest comment 10 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Caimbeul #1 10 months ago

    Looks very unlikeable. Also looks like a bad scan of someones face onto the body...

  • Vardant #2 10 months ago

    Yes, cause what ME needed was even more characters.

  • Augmentation #3 10 months ago

    Space marines. Just what Mass Effect needed...!

  • Kaonazhie #4 10 months ago

    His hair is stupid.

  • ZizouFC #5 10 months ago

    That's the bloke from the first trailer isn't it?

  • tachometer #6 10 months ago

    They had to change his name from Sanders because when he's gets promoted to Colonel they would have been copyright problems

  • TruSmiles #7 10 months ago

    I dunno. I'm sure my female Shepard will get on with him just fine ;)

  • menage #8 10 months ago

    I'm begginning to doubt ME3 more and more.

  • Muddtallica #9 10 months ago

    Let's see him wearing the mask and claw, then we'll talk.

  • randompanda #10 10 months ago

    "Vega, a white human male with a bodybuilder's physique, represents a new player's perspective..."

    Er what? I'm pretty sure the majority of players in Mass Effect have not only created a white human male character, but have fought alongside white human males in the game AND are most likely to BE white human males.

    Oh right, it's because he's a defensive character. So instead of clearing a room out, he'll simply wait until the enemies die of old age. Gripping.

  • Stuz359 #11 10 months ago

    Should have been called Sanders and should have been a colonel. Just for kicks.

  • metalangel #12 10 months ago

    He's defensive, which means he'll be blocking the only path into what looks like an extremely exciting battle taking place on the other side of a wall.

    "It's too dangerous," he'll say, "I can't let you in unless you have official authority."

    PRESS X TO GO TO THE STORE AND BUY THIS PREMIUM CONTENT! ONLY 580MSP!

  • tulx #13 10 months ago

    Bioware will have to try really hard to make a more unlikable character than Jack. That self-pitying kid with a bad attitude. Gah.

  • DozyKipper #14 10 months ago

    Oooh, he looks a bit of a bad boy really. All the ladies love a bad boy.

  • Ptarmigandalf #15 10 months ago

    Not enjoying the creeping CoDification of Mass Effect. Between this, and the EA Origin bullshit, I may actually skip it altogether.

  • Shinetop #16 10 months ago

    Hating Mass Effect 3 is the new hating EA.

  • WeakOrbit #17 10 months ago

    Bleh. I've said it before and I'll say it again.

    GIVE US A ELCOR BADASS.

    Compared to this damn chump with his stupid faux hawk.

  • jonbwfc #18 10 months ago

    [clicks through to 'non-armoured' character image]
    Looks like the option of same sex romantic interest is back in then.
    Edited by jonbwfc at 18/07/11 @ 10:34

  • linea #19 10 months ago

    known as James Balrog in the Japanese version, apparently

  • Half-assed #20 10 months ago

    "Looks like the option of same sex romantic interest is back in then."

    IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE MUSCULAR MEN ARE GAY. HAHAHAHA!

  • NineOverSeven #21 10 months ago

    Will probably join Kaiden and Jacob as the only boring member of Shepard's squad. It's always the human males. Wonder why that is?

  • DanWhitehead #22 10 months ago

    I'm just pleased to see Brian Harvey from East 17 is getting a second chance.

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #23 10 months ago

    He could be a dark horse - purposely boring to blind-side us further down the line.

    /wishful thinking

  • Subdominator #24 10 months ago

    Looks fantastic ... oh wait. I like the casual outfit, the combat suit one not so much. Anyway I am glad they didn't stick with the last name, it never made sense in the first place with Kahlee having no children and being the single child of Grissom.

  • the_dudefather #25 10 months ago

    They will change his name to James Bison for the Japanese release

  • Hindle #26 10 months ago

    Post deleted at 23:04:43 04-04-2012

  • Nithron #27 10 months ago

    The characters in Mass Effect 2 were much, much better than the ones in ME1. So hopefully, they'll continue on form, and this guy wont be as boring as he first appears.

    You're working with the Alliance in 3 after all, so the lack of any actual human characters on your team would seem pretty weird. They could bring Kaiden back, but he was really boring, and the other human squadmates are dead or Cerberus operatives.

    This guy does look pretty retarded. But then, having a ship full of supermodels was getting to seem pretty weird too.

    Edit: Hang on, Kaiden/Ashley do come back as squaddies for 3. So this guy had better be interesting somehow.
    Edited by Nithron at 18/07/11 @ 11:54

  • JensonJet #28 10 months ago

    A short-haired, tall, muscular, white soldier.

    They're so rare in games these days!!!

    As Half-assed suggested, I think Bioware should make him gay, with an extremely camp voice. Scrap that idea, I know the games industry loves lesbians (as long as they're fit, young and pretty) but I guess Bioware/EA would be worried they'll upset their macho-loving crowd if they broke the cliche games mould. Maybe this says something about the average gamer, if the industry feels they like looking at bodybuilders!

  • anomagnus #29 10 months ago

    Well, despite the outpouring of negativity, i'm actually quite pelased to see a non attractive character in a game. I find it a bit odd that everyone in the future would be a model! Being a typical gamer, i haven't been blessed with said models looks! (cue comments fromt he legion of EG forumites who are beautiful)

    Now, while you're all given off you're usual negative shit, check out the updated ashley for me 3. shes a fucking lasher!

  • anomagnus #30 10 months ago

    @Augmentation

    You do understand that by nature of the fact that soliders are transported in a SHIP in SPACE, all future combantants are SPACE - MARINES?

  • Subi #31 10 months ago

    Utterly pointless, we're all just going to fill our squads with the hot alien chicks anyway.

  • TheDarkFurie #32 10 months ago

    Sod the name. Am I the only one who thinks he looks a little like Timothy Spall?

  • PhoenixMDK #33 10 months ago

    "Does that mean Vega now has no theoretical ties to Mass Effect fiction heroine Kahlee Sanders?"

    No, but Tarantino fans will note he IS related to Vic and Vincent Vega, although his exact family heritage will only emerge later in the game.

  • Weezer #34 10 months ago

    Generic Vega

  • udat #35 10 months ago

    His arms look too short.

  • geeza2020 #36 10 months ago

    What a terrible character design.Its like Bioware decided "Lets make the most boring middle of the road character that we can based on the universe he's in". Male, check. Human, check. White, check. NFL player like build, check. Incredibly irritating middle of the road American accent and outlook, check (Obviously cant be certain on this last one, but its highly likely).

    This guy wont be anywhere near my squad in ME3 outisde any sections that he's a mandatory team member. Why do game devs think we all have an infatuation with meat heads?

  • ShiroBen #37 10 months ago

    Ah, the token human.

  • TruSmiles #38 10 months ago

    I would actually love an Elcor squad member. I have no idea what they would actually do but damn, it would be awesome.

  • menage #39 10 months ago

    I think they would artificially stretch the length of the game by talking a lot.

    But I would choose one over this bloke any day. Even if it ends the universe.
    Edited by menage at 18/07/11 @ 14:25

  • tyrant1 #40 10 months ago

    I see a lot of folks complaining about the "cliche, generic white frat boy dude".

    Personally, if I had to choose between that or a PC arse licking/affirmative action female/non-white character to placate the whiny assholes who think they have all the worlds problems solved, Id choose......

    Neither probably.

    I dont know, the guy LOOKS off to me for saying its supposed to be a Mass Effect game (supposedly, as of ME2, its clear they wished they were Gears of War - whether that continues, I dont know....)

    Provided I dont skip this game entirely, Ill at least listen to some of what the character has to say, get an idea of who he is - If for no other reason than, like I said, dismissing a female or non-white character based on appearance just wouldnt fly, and would kick up a shitstorm from a load of hypocrital whiners.
    Edited by tyrant1 at 18/07/11 @ 17:06

  • MasterOfTheStick #41 10 months ago

    That thing is not getting anywhere near my maleshep's anus.

  • shave_my_donkey #42 10 months ago

    WHY!?!?!?!?!?!

  • Centrifugal #43 10 months ago

    He looks alright in the second picture but even so he doesn't sound like a very interesting character; he's probably going to be the guy who's the conduit for new players, asking with a blank face "so what exactly ARE the Reapers?" and "what's your story then, Shepard?" or "so who's this 'Garrus'?"
    Edited by Centrifugal at 19/07/11 @ 08:26