?Mass Effect 3? Ending DLC Release Approaches: 5 Things Players Can Expect To See In ?Extended Cut?

Fans have tirelessly campaigned for a new ending to Mass Effect 3, the third chapter in BioWare's epic space-shooter trilogy. Although the company has denied that there will be an alternate conclusion to the game, a new downloadable content extension will dig deeper into the current controversial ending.

BioWare and Electronic Arts have just announced that the extension, called Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut will debut on Tuesday, June 26. The DLC is said to include cinematic cut scenes and epilogues that will expand the way the game ended, but what can Mass Effect fans really expect?

The company has not said anything about what Extended Cut will bring to the trilogy, but based on fan observation and examination; there are some conclusions that can be made.

First, it may be safe to say that players will see characters such as Kaidan Alenko and EDI return. In May, the voice actors for these characters revealed clues on Twitter about recording in the studio for more Mass Effect 3 content.

Just when you thought I would never go back, they keep PULLING me back in #MassEffect!! Recording!! Yay! Wha-hoo! voice actor for Alenko Raphael Sbarge posted on May 4, along with a photo of a microphone in a recording booth.

Although this isn't new information for most diehard Mass Effect fans, there are a number of unanswered questions that players can expect (or hope) to be addressed in the DLC. (This is where the spoilers begin, so those who have not finished Mass Effect 3 might want to stop reading).

One scenario in the ending that can be questioned is, why was Joker running from Earth? The folks over at Examiner got their hands on the Extended Cut and have revealed that one cut scene includes a command from Hacket. All Fleets: The Crucible is armed. Disengage and head to the rendezvous point. There will hopefully be some explanation as to how Hacket knows the Crucible is armed, when his last line says that the ship is not doing anything. Also, when Shephard is seen talking to the star child, it is clear that ships are engaging in battle, not disengaging.

There are portions of the Stargazer scene which also hint that the DLC will reveal a new story about Commander Shephard's legendary victory over the Reapers. There are two sentences in this scene, which say the following:

Child: Tell me another story about the Shepard.

Stargazer: It's getting late but, okay...one more story.

This indicates that there could be more to tell about Shephard's story, according to a user in a forum on HoldTheLine.com. After that exchange of words, the player gets a message that says the following:

Commander Shephard has become a legend by ending the Reaper threat. Now you can continue to build that legend through further gameplay and downloadable content.

The prompt could be referring to the multiplayer DLCs that have previously launched that include actual gameplay. But, since it does say gameplay and downloadable content, there could be a chance that the Extended Cut addition will address this.

The game also created two save files after this, one called LegendSave and another called NewGamePlusSave after the story is completed. So what is LegendSave for?

Many players are probably wondering what happened to their crew at the end of the game. Examiner posted some photos of their hands-on experience with the DLC, and one image shows the crew standing in front of the Normandy's memorial wall, with placeholders for Kaidan Alenko and Ashley.

And of course, there is always the question of whether or not the Indoctrination Theory is true. This basically states that the ending of Mass Effect 3 was actually occurring in Commander Shephard's head, as he was being indoctrinated by the Reapers. The Indoctrination Theory surfaced soon after the game was released and fans became disgruntled about the controversial ending. There is no true way to know if this idea is actually true, but it is up to players to decide for themselves if they choose to believe it.

The list of speculations and theories can go on and on. One fan even created a full-length documentary dedicated to examining the holes and possibilities left open in the ending. From what we know, players can expect to learn:

-What happened to their crew

-An expansion on Commander Shepard as a legend

-An appearance from Kaidan Alenko and EDI

- Cut scenes involving Hacket issuing commands

- Some clarification on the Indoctrination Theory

But, gamers will have to wait until Tuesday to see what the final piece of the closing sequence will include.