Mass Effect 3 post-ending DLC teased by BioWare

The ending of Mass Effect 3 has proven unpopular with some who've played it, and even more who haven't, but now those cheeky scamps at BioWare are hinting that maybe, just maybe, that's not the end of it all. Plainly, this story features spoilers for the end of ME3.

Now that we've shook off all the people who read the spoiler warning and looked away because they don't want to learn about the ending of Mass Effect 3, let's talk.

You and I both know that Shepard sacrifices herself at the end of the campaign to stop the Reapers. You probably also know that a fair number of players were dissatisfied with how it all wrapped up, starting polls and petitions in protest. They've also been talking to BioWare on Twitter, where Ten Ton Hammer collected a number of responses from BioWare hinting that this isn't all.

Amongst many hints to hold onto saves, was a teasing, perhaps telling, and slightly trolling response to a fan asking if that's how Shepard ends, teasing "We can't saaaaay!"

Then there's Mass Effect producer Michael Gamble, who wrote, "Hardest. Day. Ever. Seriously, if you people knew all the stuff we are planning...you'd, we'll - hold onto your copy of me3 forever."

At the very least, we can expect DLC BioWare thinks is very special. Changing the game's ending via DLC so the hero lives would be a pretty gutsy, and arguably frustrating, move, but it's not unprecedented--Bethesda did just that in Fallout 3 with Broken Steel.

Of course, not all of Mass Effect 3's endings actually end in Shepard's death. If you've met certain conditions, a short scene plays showing Shepard's body amongst debris, her chest expanding as she takes a breath. Only a subset of players will have actually accomplished this, though.

So what's BioWare up to? We won't know for certain until the official, authorised marketing campaign kicks off. Or perhaps until fans scouring the game's data files find some overlooked hints, much as the demo was found to contain files relating to the first DLC's Prothean squadmate.