Mass Effect Games And Content Available As Free Promotional Offers

Electronic Arts and BioWare have periodically offered Mass Effect games and related content as promotional freebies to consumers. These free offers have included full game downloads, digital content packages, and in-game items. This article examines the various Mass Effect freebies that have been made available to consumers through different platforms and promotions.

Mass Effect 2 has been one of the most frequently offered titles for free. The game was completely free through Origin's On the House promotion, which is a program that makes select games available at no cost for limited time periods. According to the available information, there were no catches to this offer—users simply needed to click the "Add to my library" button to claim the game permanently. However, it was noted as a time-limited offer, suggesting that availability could end at any time without notice.

In December 2016, BioWare ran a "5 days of Freebies" promotion to celebrate the season. The promotion included multiple mystery items and games given away over five consecutive days. While the first day's offering was a "RT for a chance to win" plush Krogan doll, Mass Effect 2 was also mentioned as one of the free items that would be available during the promotion. The game was temporarily free during this event, with users who managed to claim it during its availability period keeping it permanently.

For Amazon Prime members, July 2021's Prime Day event included Mass Effect Legendary Edition as a free offering. Legendary Edition contains all three Mass Effect games and their single-player DLC, packaged together in a single launcher. This freebie was available specifically for Prime members during the two-day Prime event on July 12-13. In addition to the Mass Effect trilogy, Prime members could also claim several Star Wars games, including Jedi Knight – Jedi Academy, Jedi Outcast, and Republic Commando.

BioWare has also released free content packages related to the Mass Effect series. Ahead of the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition release, BioWare made available a "Mass Effect Bonus Content Download" through EA's website. This package contained content that originally came with the Deluxe Editions of Mass Effect 2 and 3, including 88 songs from the trilogy's soundtrack, digital art books with concept art for Mass Effect 2 and 3, two digital comics, and a lithograph of the Normandy. Additionally, BioWare created an online tool that allowed users to select their favorite squadmates to create personalized cover art.

Free Mass Effect content has also been bundled with other games. Purchases of Dragon Age: Origins included a free download code for special Blood Dragon Armor for Mass Effect 2. This armor could be used by the player's character Shepard and was noted to look "awesome" according to one source. Additionally, new copies of Dragon Age: Origins came with a code for a downloadable Dragon Age character named Shale and an associated quest. It was noted that this code had an expiration date of April 30, 2010, requiring timely redemption.

The process for claiming these free offers varied depending on the promotion. For Origin's On the House promotion, users needed to visit the Origin website, locate the Mass Effect 2 listing, and click the "Add to my library" button. For Amazon Prime Day offers, Prime members needed to visit the Amazon Prime Gaming section during the promotional period to claim the games. BioWare's content package was available through EA's website, where users could download the various digital items.

Eligibility for these free offers typically had certain requirements and restrictions. Most offers were time-limited, with no guarantee of how long they would remain available. The Dragon Age: Origins codes mentioned an expiration date, requiring redemption by a specific deadline. Amazon Prime Day offers were restricted to Prime members only. No specific regional restrictions were mentioned in the available sources, though platform availability was noted (PC for Origin, various platforms for Amazon Prime offers).

The standard edition of Mass Effect 2 that was offered for free through Origin's On the House program was noted to be missing some bonus content that came with the Digital Deluxe Edition, including bonus weapons, armor, soundtrack, and digital art book. This information was provided to set consumer expectations about what content was included in the free version versus the paid versions.

Conclusion

Mass Effect games and related content have been made available to consumers through various promotional freebies over the years. These offers have included full game downloads like Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect Legendary Edition, digital content packages with soundtracks and art books, and in-game items like the Blood Dragon Armor. While these promotions have been time-limited and sometimes had specific eligibility requirements, they have provided opportunities for both new and existing fans to experience the Mass Effect series at no cost. Consumers interested in future Mass Effect freebies should monitor official channels from EA, BioWare, and Amazon Prime Gaming for announcements of promotional events.

Sources

1. PCGamesN - Mass Effect 2 Free on Origin
2. IndieGameBundles - BioWare 5 Days of Freebies
3. Destructoid - Amazon Prime Day Mass Effect
4. RockPaperShotgun - BioWare Free Content Package
5. Lewyland Blog - Mass Effect Information
6. NYPost - Dragon Age Freebies
7. PCGamer - Mass Effect 2 Free on Origin