Next Mass Effect 3 patch will fix face import problem

The next Mass Effect 3 patch will fix the game's face import problem, BioWare has announced.

The problem prevents users from importing character faces from Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2 into the game. It means Mass Effect 3 is incompatible with faces built on the Mass Effect 1 editor.

Chris Priestly, BioWare's community coordinator, said the problem was to do with an error with how codes were detected when transferred from Mass Effect 1 into Mass Effect 2 and then on into Mass Effect 3 or importing a Mass Effect 2 saved game with New Game +.

Unfortunately there is no word on when the patch will be released. "A new patch gets heavily tested by BioWare, EA, Microsoft and Sony before it can be released to the public," Priestly explained.

"We all want to be sure that it fixes the issues it is supposed to fix and doesn't start any new issues (this is called testing or certification testing). If a patch fails during testing, it is sent back, fixed again and retested until it passes. Then it is released to gamers. Until we know that the patch has passed certification testing, I don't want to give even a rough idea of the date, to prevent disappointment should it need further testing."

Priestly had suggested PC players use a fan made tool that may help in the short term. The website in question, Mass Effect Tools, lets you compare the face to be used in Mass Effect 3 before you put it into the game.