Ex-BioWare designer draws map to Mass Effect 3 Mars rover Easter egg

Mass Effect 3 contains a hidden Mars rover Easter egg - and now, 10 years later, there's an "official" map showing how to activate it for yourself.

Writing on the Mass Effect reddit, former BioWare designer Richard Boisvert explained the Easter egg was his creation, and there was a specific path players had to follow in order to see it properly.

"As far as I know no one ever stumbled upon it," Boisvert wrote.

A year ago, a fan did find the Easter egg while playing with a modded version of Mass Effect 3 where you could freely manipulate its camera and see out of bounds areas.

Posting on the Mass Effect reddit back in April 2020, fan Marcus_Khaar revealed images of the Mars rover, prompting delight among hardcore fans at the discovery of a long-hidden secret.

There was even discussion on how the model had been cobbled together - seemingly from objects already in the game. (Its wheels look like tyres from Mako models, while its neck appears to be the leftover model of a Prothean tower.)

What's new now, however, is a method for getting the Mars rover to spring to life - via a hand-drawn map by creator Boisvert. It all comes just at the right time for fans reaching the trilogy's third game via the new Mass Effect Legendary Edition.

From the start of the Mars level, follow this route through the base's solar panel array to activate your rover buddy:

"I did it," reddit user Tuskin38 later confirmed after following Boisvert's instructions, alongside a series of snaps showing the rover gambolling along. "There's a little rover over behind some rocks, when you walk that path, it drives over to the edge of the cliff, looks up and nods at you."

For more on Mass Effect 3, I recently sat down with lead writer Mac Walters to discuss how BioWare began planning the final game in its trilogy - read on for details of a cut Reaper boss, switched missions and more.

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