Significant DLC plans for Mass Effect 2?

By Tom Bramwell Published 3 November, 2009

Retail quiz points to extensive support.

BioWare is planning to support Mass Effect 2 with oodles of downloadable content, according to a report.

Destructoid has got its hands on something called a "Microsoft Expert Zone quiz", a tool that briefs retailers about information on the games they sell, and it lists some interesting Xbox Live features for the upcoming sci-fi RPG.

There's "planned episodic combat via DLC", new downloadable characters, weapons and armour, and "full campaign expansions" on the cards, apparently, along with "periodic updates" via something called the "Cerberus Network".

Cerberus is the name of the human supremacist organisation to which Commander Shepard finds himself allied in Mass Effect 2, as he tries to discover why human colonies are being mysteriously wiped out.

We asked publisher EA about the game's DLC plans this morning and were told that it would not comment on rumour and speculation.

However, sizable DLC support would hardly be that surprising given BioWare's considerable plans for Dragon Age and the fact it released a bit of content for the first Mass Effect.

Mass Effect 2 is due out for PC and Xbox 360 on 29th January. We're seeing BioWare later this week so we'll be sure to ask about the above.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (18) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #1 2 years ago

    I wonder if Cerebrus Network will be the next Halo Waypoint? It'd be strange for it to be a non-MS-owned property, mind.

  • menage #2 2 years ago

    Ehm, I hope it's not just shooting, that's not why I played ME. Although it was nice, and 2 does look better in that regard

  • Widge #3 2 years ago

    I just want all the stuff in the main game :(
    Don't want to eek my gaming experience out over 2 years.
    Edited by 1 at 03/11/09 @ 10:17

  • Bazfrag #4 2 years ago

    Widge +1000000.

    I dont mind proper expansions, but dlc is the worst thing to happen to gaming since devs put more emphasis on audio visual emersion than emersive gameplay.

  • andywilkie35 #5 2 years ago

    I'd rather they delay the game by a few months and stick it in the game as its supposed to be, rather than making it DLC. If I pay for a game, I want the game, not half a game and having to pay for extras if I want the full experience.

  • dupplawt #6 2 years ago

    I totally agree andywilkie, it seems more and more games have 'planned DLC' which to me just seems like a money grabbing excersise. They should never plan to have DLC, they should wait until the community responds to the original game and then see what they want.

    This seems like it's going to be a big spend for dedicated fans, like myself.

  • Widge #7 2 years ago

    I find DLC can be a bit, meh, you know. You get this game you like, some sort of bolt on comes out a few months later, costs £7. You rip through it quickly and feel bit... cheated.

    I'm a bit put off buying the Fallout 3 DLC because it feels like you're buying main game quests for £8 a pop. Plus it feels a bit rubbish to go back into the game now its finished, just to do some new quest that has come out, all a bit anticlimatic.

  • menage #8 2 years ago

    Fallout 3 DLC rocks (well, some of it). It made me play the game till June this year. I even want more now.

  • Bazfrag #9 2 years ago

    Fallout goty is £29 at tesco. That almost the dlc for free.

  • cianchristopher #10 2 years ago

    "Significant plans for DLC"? Isn't that what they promised for the first Mass Effect? (That question was rhetorical by the way, they did announce that there would be loads of DLC for Mass Effect)....

    What did we get? Bring Down The Sky (which wasn't that bad, admittedly) and that shitty one they rushed out this summer, Pinnacle Station, which was so godawful you'd wonder why they bothered!

    Seriously BioWare, don't fucking announce DLC until the DLC is actually ready to be released (preferably around 4 to 6 months after the game is out)! And, make it worthwhile!

  • bratmandu #11 2 years ago

    Let's hope Bioware step it up in terms of DLC. The stuff for ME1 was pretty tame in my opinion, having to go back to earlier saves to get a tiny bit of DLC wasn't a great plan. And call me an moron but I found it rather confusing trying to start 'new game+' (i.e. keep same player level and start game on hard). It always seemed to revert back to normal difficulty.

    Fair enough though, ME1 was a new franchise, new game engine, new console for Bioware, I could forgive some of ME1s indiscretions, like crap menus and inventory. But if any of that stuff crops up in the second game, and if the DLC ain't epic and value for money, I'lll forget about ME3.

  • metalangel #12 2 years ago

    cianchristopher, it's worrying how accurately you've read my mind.

  • RedSparrows #13 2 years ago

    Agree with above.

    As for DLC - release bloody good, lengthy sections, or none at all. I don't want another BdtS or Pinnacle Station. Eurgh.

  • nuanimal #14 2 years ago

    Downloadable armour you say? Cool! But I want a Biotics enabled horse to go with it...

  • bratmandu #15 2 years ago

    Hah yea they totally horse-armoured us on the ME1 DLC!
    Edited by 1 at 03/11/09 @ 15:00

  • Kostabi #16 2 years ago

    I wish the majority of DLC was like an old fashioned expansion pack instead of this drip fed bollocks they use now.

    More 'Lost and the Damned' and less horse armour please.

  • intpleeus #17 2 years ago

    Bioware also had extensive plans to support Mass Effect with downloadable content, or at least that was the impression they gave before release. What did they actually release? "Bring down the Sky" and "Pinnacle Station" -- two rather big disappointments. I hope they actually do support Mass Effect 2, but we have been down this road before with Bioware.

  • kongzi #18 2 years ago

    DLC shouldn't be used for expansions. Who cares about an extra mission that's exactly the same as in the main game? I want to see a fresh new take on the game, mabe someting funny and unexpected. Like a quad laserguided homing rocketlauncher for Assasin's Creed and ninja swords, wall running and shurikens in GTA. It doesn't have to make sense, it's a game. I hate how games are all trying to make sense nowadays.