Mass Effect 3 was first released about four months ago to good reviews (including ours)… and excessive fan criticism. Some fans became extremely upset over the conclusion of Commander Shepard’s adventure because fans alleged that the ending didn’t reflect enough of the decisions that they had made over during the entire trilogy, which led to fan petitions, fundraisers, cupcakes and more.

When Casey Hudson, Executive Producer of Mass Effect, announced earlier this year that there would be a new ending coming for fans to play, which would hopefully please some of the critics, it wasn’t clear how long the wait would be.

Fans, get ready. The Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut is bringing your closure next week on June 26th.

More info after the break.

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BioWare gave out some additional details about what to expect next week:

What is included in the Extended Cut?

• The Extended Cut expands on the endings of Mass Effect 3 through additional scenes and epilogue sequences. It provides more of the answers and closure that players have been asking for. It gives a sense of what the future holds as a result of the decisions made throughout the series. And it shows greater detail in the successes or failures based on how players achieved their endings.

Does the Extended Cut change the endings?

• The Extended Cut is an expansion of the original endings to Mass Effect 3. It does not fundamentally change the endings, but rather it expands on the meaning of the original endings, and reveals greater detail on the impact of player decisions.

What save game should I load to play the Extended Cut?

• [SPOILERS] To experience the Extended Cut, load a save game from before the attack on the Cerberus Base and play through to the end of the game. The Extended Cut endings will differ depending on choices made throughout the Mass Effect series, so multiple playthroughs with a variety of different decisions will be required to experience the variety of possibilities offered by the new content.

The Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut will be available next week on June 26th for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC as a 1.9GB download. And it’s all for the price of absolutely nothing.

[BioWare]