Mass Effect 2 Cut Content

undefined A variety of content made for Mass Effect 2 was not implemented in the game's final version. This cut content is listed here, but because it was not in the final retail version of the game, it is not considered canon.

Thermal Clips
Over the last two years, firearms have undergone a major enhancement to manage their waste heat. When the Systems Alliance analyzed detailed battle telemetry, they found that the geth were able to keep up a more sustained rate of fire, giving them a significant advantage over Alliance marines. So the Alliance retrofitted every weapon in service, making a full conversion to the thermal clip system. Thermal clips hold disposable universal heat sinks. Instead of waiting for an overheated weapon to cool down, combatants simply eject the spent heat sink and the clip feeds in a new one. This allows for a greater sustained rate of fire and more numerous impacts on targets down range. Armorers are hurriedly adapting to this increased lethality with new defensive technology like self-sustaining barrier amps, hardened shield generators, and mass field-integrated armor. But for the moment, the aggressor has the advantage, resulting in the clips' widespread adoption by the galaxy's arms manufacturers.

M-920 Cain
The M-920 Cain is a portable particle accelerator surrounding an array of dust-form element zero chambers. This weapon prototype subjects its eezo to extreme positive and negative currents to project mass effect fields. By increasing and decreasing mass, the fields shear the target's mass the way disruptor torpedoes do. The shearing fields collide ambient materials at such high speeds, they create mushroom clouds, an effect otherwise impossible on the small scale. The weapon induces neither fission nor fusion in non-nuclear targets, and its own nuclear reactions are shielded by lead alloys. The M-920 Cain uses graphite rods as neutron moderators, which require frequent replacement to sustain power. Fortunately, most heavy weapon ammunition can be re-fabricated via omni-tool into graphite rods.

M-100 Grenade Launcher
Elanus Risk Control Services once manufactured the M-100, a standalone, semiautomatic 25mm grenade launcher. Considered obsolete by modern grenade launcher standards, thugs across the galaxy built their own after its design specifications were leaked to the extranet. The M-100 firing system lack electronically-set fuses that most modern grenades possess, putting it at a disadvantage compared to "smart grenade" systems. M-100 proponents counter that the weapon has a fifty-year track record in reliably accepting kludge ammo, processed via omni-tool so that a soldier who depletes his rounds can still reload. Although modern kinetic barriers can block fragmentation damage, the heat and concussive force of a grenade blast can rip right through them, incapacitating most species instantly. The M-100 may be a dinosaur, but it can still kill with the best of them.

Drell
Two centuries ago, the hanar helped 375,000 members of the drell race migrate to the hanar homeworld Kahje, to escape the environmental extermination that had claimed the remaining 11 billion drell. Nearly all drell demonstrate tremendous loyalty to their famously reclusive saviors. The intimacy of their relationship, expressed in a formal socio-political alliance called the Compact, also results in extremely close personal relations, in which some drell actually learn hanar soul names. While most drell reside on Kahje, some assist hanar off-world as envoys, researchers, co-investors, wayfarers, assassins, or otherwise, eager to help their saviors. For a century, galactic wisdom has held that behind any high-ranking hanar hides a resourceful and fanatically-devoted drell. The omnivorous, reptilian drell possess an average lifespan of 85 Galactic Standard years. Having evolved on an arid planet, drell face serious illness on the hanar homeworld, especially Kepral's Syndrome, a fatal bacterial lung disease.

Galactic News Stories

 * "Biomedical firm Sirta Foundation is reporting a medical breakthrough against a new strain of inter-species influenza. The development comes as a result of samples contaminated during a biotic attack against their research center two years ago. Fortunately, there were few casualties."


 * "The asari Sha'ira, more commonly known as the Consort, has declined to name the next race likely to gain Council membership. However, she suggested an announcement could come soon."


 * "Alliance military officials are prepared to announce new weapons upgrades, the result of data obtained from the geth attack on Eden Prime years ago."


 * "A Council inquiry has concluded that a combat VI that went rogue on Luna was not intentionally upgraded to full AI status. Alliance members have maintained that the VI was for combat-testing purposes only. Given these findings, it is unlikely any charges will be filed."


 * "Salarian marksman Velan Foris thinks he has a shot at beating Commander Shepard's long-standing record at Pinnacle Station. Tune in tonight to watch live."


 * "Charles Saracino says he is pleased to see Terra Firma gaining seats in the recent parliamentary elections. He promises continuing pro-human changes."


 * "Charles Saracino, leader of the Terra Firma party and former Alliance Parliament candidate, has plead guilty to tax evasion. He is in custody pending sentencing."


 * "Alliance officials have secured a valuable mining facility on Nonuel. The base had once belonged to a criminal warlord known only as Darius. After Darius died several years ago, a number of factions tried and failed to claim the mining center."


 * "Element zero production is up in the Plutus system and so are prices, as the area's leader, Lord Darius, has made new trade demands. Alliance officials say they will uphold their treaty obligations in this matter."


 * "Is the Shadow Broker's criminal empire collapsing? C-SEC officials detected emergency transactions from businesses tied to the mysterious figure. Financial broker Barla Von, linked as a possible Shadow Broker source, was recently found dead. Authorities suspect that this is just the tip of the iceberg."

Locations

 * Arvuna
 * Asteria
 * Rosh
 * Susskind Station