New Mass Effect 2 Follower and Story Details Revealed

With GamesCom officially underway, Electronic Arts and BioWare have issued a press release announcing a new Krogan follower in Mass Effect 2 and other story details.

BIOWARE UNVEILS NEW STORY DETAILS OF THE EPIC ACTION RPG

Captain Shepard Recruits Critical Squad Members Starting with the

Cologne, Germany (August 18th, 2009) Leading video game developer BioWareâ„¢, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today revealed new plot points in the epic sci-fi fantasy Mass Effect 2â„¢. Once again stepping into the role of the heroic Commander Shepard, gamers will command their crew on a suicide mission in space. Players will strategically select each member of their squad, all of whom have a direct impact on the direction of the story and the squad’s chances for survival. Players will select from a motley cast of characters including the newly revealed ‘˜Grunt’ a blood-hungry Krogan.

Once players have assembled their squad from amongst the galaxy’s most powerful mystics, geniuses, and convicts, they must lead them on a suicide mission to discover why humans are vanishing from the galaxy. The success of the mission hinges on the squad recruited and their loyalty to the mission. Shepard’s future depends on it.

(The Mass Effect trilogy is an epic saga with consequences that will carry through from chapter to chapter) said Dr. Ray Muzyka, GM and CEO BioWare, VP EA. (Building out a diverse and loyal party is one of the features that makes the Mass Effect series unique. (The characters Commander Shepard recruits are not only pivotal to the storyline but essential to the players overall success.)

The new character revealed in the Mass Effect 2 squad is ‘˜Grunt’. A violent and unpredictable Krogan fighter, Grunt has never faced true defeat. His unsurpassed physical strength makes him a strong asset to Commander Shepard’s team, if he can be tamed, and if he can be trusted.

Grunt is the second party member to be revealed in the Mass Effect 2 universe following ‘˜Thane’ a deadly assassin who was first introduced in June. More details about the rest of Shepard’s crew will be revealed in the coming months.

The Mass Effect trilogy is a masterful science fiction adventure set in a vast universe filled with dangerous alien life and mysterious uncharted planets. Mass Effect 2 is scheduled for release on Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and PC in early 2010. The new recruitment gameplay video and screenshots can be found at info.ea.com. Follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/masseffect2.

About BioWare
BioWare develops computer, console, handheld, mobile and online video games focused on rich stories and memorable characters. Since 1995, BioWare has created some of the world’s best-selling titles, including the award-winning Baldur’s Gateâ„¢ and Neverwinter Nightsâ„¢ series, Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republicâ„¢ and Sonicâ„¢ Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood (for the Nintendo DSâ„¢). Original BioWare-created intellectual properties include Jade Empireâ„¢ and the 2007 Game of the Year, Mass Effectâ„¢. With studios in Edmonton (Alberta, Canada), Montréal (Québec), and Austin (Texas), BioWare is hard at work on the epic fantasy roleplaying game, Dragon Ageâ„¢: Origins, Mass Effect 2â„¢, the epic sequel to Mass Effect, and the story-driven massively multiplayer game, Star Wars®: The Old Republicâ„¢, as well as several unannounced projects. In 2008, BioWare was acquired by the world’s leading electronic entertainment publisher, Electronic Arts. For more information on BioWare, visit www.bioware.com

About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EATM, EA SPORTSTM, EA Mobile TM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2009, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.2 billion and had 31 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA’s homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.