You can’t play Mass Effect 3 multiplayer in Legendary Edition officially, but on PC a fan mod called LEMP has brought it back since October 15. The mode was left out of the remaster in 2021. The ME3Tweaks modding team is also reportedly releasing a bigger multiplayer remaster on N7 Day, November 7. I did play Mass Effect 3 back in 2012. It was pretty good.
Key takeaways
- Legendary Edition has no official multiplayer. The remaster focused on the three single-player campaigns.
- LEMP, made by Nexus Mods user PayDay1, has been out on PC since October 15, with all 66 characters and 19 maps.
- ME3Tweaks is reportedly releasing a separate multiplayer remaster on N7 Day, November 7.
- Both are unofficial PC mods. Nothing changes on PS5 or Xbox.
Does Mass Effect Legendary Edition have multiplayer?
No. When Legendary Edition was announced, project director Mac Walters told PC Gamer that the team had looked at bringing Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer across and decided against it. “I think our focus really was on the singleplayer experience and at some point we had to just draw the line,” he said. Cross-play and the players still using the original were part of the problem.
That left the co-op mode stuck in the 2012 version of Mass Effect 3. It was a four-player, wave-based mode where you picked a class and a race and fought off Cerberus, the Geth, the Reapers or the Collectors, unlocking new characters and gear from packs as you went.
How is there new Mass Effect multiplayer if BioWare shut down?
That was my first question too. I thought the studio that did Mass Effect shut down, so how are they doing that? The answer is that it isn’t the studio. Both projects are made by fans, using the game files from the version you already own. BioWare’s closure, which we covered alongside the news that the Mass Effect TV show survived it, doesn’t stop modders working on the games.
ME3Tweaks is the best-known of those modders. The group makes the ME3Tweaks Mod Manager and the Legendary Explorer toolset, and it already has form here. On N7 Day 2021 it put Pinnacle Station, a piece of Mass Effect 1 DLC that Legendary Edition left out, back into the game. According to PixelTwelve, ME3Tweaks says it isn’t affiliated with EA or BioWare, and LEMP credits ME3Tweaks for tools it used.
What is LEMP, and how do you get it?
LEMP stands for Legendary Edition Multiplayer. Nexus Mods user PayDay1 released it on October 15, and its page listed version 0.6.0 by October 18. It aims to recreate the 2012 mode with the same content, and DSOGaming lists what’s in it:
- All 66 playable characters and all 19 maps
- Cerberus, Geth, Reaper and Collector enemies, on Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum difficulty
- The store, reward packs, unlocks and weapon mods, with N7 Rating and Challenge Points on leaderboards
- Text and voice chat, plus vote-to-kick in lobbies and matches
- Its own matchmaking servers, separate from EA’s
You get it from its Nexus Mods page and install it using the instructions there. PixelTwelve notes that the 0.6.0 update needs both the mod’s DLC folder and its lemp.asi file replaced, and that older versions can’t use its matchmaking server, so keep it up to date.
It isn’t polished yet. TheGamer reported that players say it works for online play, but has bugs with ability and shot registration, plus some stuttering. TheGamer also reported that it was made using the AI tool Claude to compile Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer scripts, and that the original microtransactions were swapped out.
What is the ME3Tweaks multiplayer remaster?
It’s a separate, bigger project. Modder Audemus told PC Gamer that “It’s not just a ME3MP port but rather an extensive remaster of the experience”. PC Gamer says the ME3Tweaks team has spent three years on it. The plan includes:
- Controller and HDR support from Legendary Edition
- An overhauled interface, relit levels and upscaled textures
- Better networking, bug fixes and new modes, including “Unified”, which mixes enemies from different factions
- The choice of joining ME3Tweaks’ server or running a private one
PC Gamer says the team plans to release it on N7 Day, November 7. PixelTwelve adds that a public download, final requirements and install instructions are still to come, so treat that date as a target until it’s out.
LEMP or ME3Tweaks: which should you use?
Right now there’s only one choice, because LEMP is the one you can download today. Here’s how the two compare from what’s been published so far:
| LEMP | ME3Tweaks remaster | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | PayDay1 | The ME3Tweaks team |
| Available | Since October 15 | Planned for November 7 |
| Aim | The 2012 mode, recreated | The 2012 mode, remastered and expanded |
| Servers | Its own matchmaking | ME3Tweaks’ server or your own |
| Modes | Same as 2012 | New ones, including Unified |
| Platform | PC | PC |
They’re separate projects with separate servers, so check which one your friends are using before you try to group up.
Why is it coming out on N7 Day?
N7 Day is November 7, the date Mass Effect fans mark every year after the N7 rank on Shepard’s armour. ME3Tweaks has released on it before: Pinnacle Station in 2021, a mod called Reduced Plot Armor in 2022 and an updated Pinnacle Station in 2024. It isn’t the only fan project lined up for the day either. PC Gamer says composer Sam Hulick plans to release a re-scored version of the leaked Mass Effect trailer on the same date.
Can you play Mass Effect 3 multiplayer on PS5 or Xbox?
No. LEMP restores multiplayer to the PC version of Legendary Edition, and ME3Tweaks makes PC mods. The PlayStation and Xbox versions don’t get anything from either project, and there’s no official update coming.
Is fan-made Mass Effect multiplayer worth trying?
Fan-made versions often are good. Modding communities often become better at modding a game than the people that made the game in the first place, because the people that made the game are making the game. The people that mod the game are the ones that have put the hours in and played the game.
If you own Legendary Edition on PC and miss the co-op, LEMP is there to try now. If you’d rather wait for the bigger remaster, N7 Day is four days away. Either way, it’s more than the series has had officially since EA’s plans moved on, which we went into when Battlefront 3 reportedly cost Mass Effect its sequel.
FAQ
Can you play Mass Effect 3 multiplayer in Legendary Edition?
Not officially. On PC, the fan mod LEMP adds it, and ME3Tweaks is reportedly releasing a bigger multiplayer remaster on November 7.
When does the ME3Tweaks multiplayer mod come out?
PC Gamer reports a November 7 release, on N7 Day. Final download details are still to come.
Is Mass Effect 3 multiplayer coming to PS5 or Xbox?
No. Both projects are PC mods.
Who made LEMP?
Nexus Mods user PayDay1, who released it on October 15.
Is ME3Tweaks connected to BioWare?
No. It’s an unofficial fan modding group, and PixelTwelve reports it says it isn’t affiliated with EA or BioWare.
