BioWare wants next Mass Effect 3 DLC to focus on single-player

Following the release of several multiplayer free multiplayer updates to Mass Effect 3, BioWare has told Joystiq they want to focus on the single-player story with their next DLC.

Showing off a picture of future Mass Effect 3 content, producer Mike Gamble revealed, "We want to do single-player DLC."

"We want to do single-player, maybe more multiplayer if people still play it," he added, keeping open the idea of additional multiplayer updates. As for the single-player DLC would entail, Gamble said it would focus on Commander Shepard.

"Mass Effect 3 is Shepard's story," said Gamble, "so the single-player DLC for Mass Effect 3 will probably focus around Shepard."

The past few updates have primarily focused on the multiplayer component of the game, which is surprising considering Mass Effect has always been about single player and story. The most recent update, Mass Effect 3: Earth, which actually releases today, adds new multiplayer maps, playable characters, weapons, and a "Platinum" difficulty. The new difficulty could have something to do with BioWare learning a lot about multiplayer and how players react to it since the game's release.

"We see people who have everything unlocked all the way up to level 20 on everything, plus all the mods, plus all of the gear, everything," said Gamble. "It takes a lot of time, a lot of time to get that stuff, like hundreds and hundreds of hours of play to usually get up to that level. And some of these people had done it in the first month to two months."

Mass Effect 3: Earth is available today for download on Xbox LIVE (Xbox 360), PSN (PS3), and Origin (PC) in North America. It will release in Europe on July 18.