Mass Effect Questions

This page was last updated October, 2019.

Do these files actually work in ME2 / ME3?
Yep! Hundreds of thousand downloads of Shepards have been made from this site and aside from a few correpted files, which I think I've found all of and taken down, I have not yet heard of anyone saying the saves didn't work (after correctly using the import function, see below).

How do I import my saves (from this site or my own) into Mass Effect 2?
Please see the Import Walkthrough page here for ME1 saves and here for ME2 saves.

Please note for ME1 --> ME2 importing you only NEED the "Char" file. You don't actually need the save file, I'm having people include these just so if needed, people who download the character can make their own Char file by running the save in ME1.

What choices carry over when I import my save?
We now have a fairly extensive list for ME1 --> ME2 here. This may not be complete, but it's close! The Mass Effect Wiki has a great list, too!

What are the main things that carry over?
The character's name and background will carry over. You will start at a higher level in ME2 depending on your level from your ME1 import. Your ME1 wealth and perhaps minerals collected will also give you bonuses to wealth and fuel in ME2. It will be acknowledged in game how Renegade or Paragon you were.

What can you change when you import a save?
You will be able to change Shepard's appearance and class. Please keep this in mind while choosing your new Shepard. If you'd like to change their name, please check this page.

How do I load my downloaded Mass Effect 1 saves into Mass Effect 1?
If you want to load the save in ME1, drop the downloaded files in your my Documents\Bioware\Mass Effect\Save folder. You will need the autosave or quicksave file in order to do this, not the long-named CHAR file. Once in ME1, be sure you get to the "Show All Saves" screen.

Please note you cannot load a save in Mass Effect 1 if the save was made with DLC you do not have. This doesn't seem to be an issue for importing that save into ME2.

How do I load my downloaded Mass Effect 2 saves into Mass Effect 2?
If you want to load a masseffect2saves.com save in ME2, drop the downloaded file in your my Documents\Bioware\Mass Effect 2\Save folder. Once in ME2, click "Load Game" then "Switch Careers".

You cannot open an ME2 save in ME2 which contains ME2 DLC you do not have.

You don't have the exact Shepard I want! Why not?
Because I can only put up saves that people have sent me. If I don't have the exact thing you need, download a save file and try using gibbed's savegame editor to modify it to your heart's content!

When are you going to take Mass Effect 2 save files?
Masseffect2saves.com is a thing that exists!

When are you going to take Mass Effect 3 save files?
ME3 saves do not import to Andromeda. Although it would be nice for NG+ on ME3, I never did get ME3saves up and running and tbh, it looks like I'm not going to. There are a few saves on the ME3 Nexus, so check there for your NG+ needs.

When are you going to take Mass Effect Andromeda save files?
Bioware is now running Mass Effect Archives, which looks like is going to handle save file uploading and importing. It's likely there will not be a ME3 or ME:A importing system needed from me. So, probably never.

Do you know of any way to bring my 360 files to PC or my PC files to 360? Do you have 360 saves for me?
So, there used to be, I had the XBOX 360 page to point out how. Unfortunately, now both the Bioware Social Network is gone, so the instructions are gone, as well as the site that hosted the converter program. I would happily host the converter here, if the person who wrote it would reach out (or someone makes another one.) For now, sadly, I think this functionality is broken.

After looking into save hosting, it looks like hosting 360 save files is a really good way for Microsoft to demand your site get shut down. I like my site too much to risk this. I'm sorry 360 players.

Website Questions

What is the purpose of this site? Using other people's saves is dumb.
There are quite a few reasons someone might want to use another person's saves. Maybe they played Mass Effect 1 on 360 and for whatever reason are going to play ME2 on PC. Maybe their hard drive crashed or they didn't know they should save their ME1 savefiles and they don't want to play through ME1 again. Maybe there are aspects of ME2 they'd really like to see but don't have time or desire to play through ME1 again. If you think this is cheating, you are entitled to that opinion, but I think there's plenty of legitimate excuses of why to use someone else's save.

Why did you make this site?
I originally made it so the Mass Effect 2 thread at Something Awful would not get spammed up with people constantly asking for savefiles. Goons started spreading the word about it to the entire internet so it's grown bigger than I ever anticipated, but I'm happy about it. I do not generally run websites, so you can tell this was kind of thrown together.

Are you making money off of this site? Can I help donate for your bandwidth?
Basically, the ads that are running just about cover the costs for the webhosting package + domain renewals for the year. It's not a lot, and after paying taxes I generally break even on the site every year, maybe enough of a profit to go out to lunch one a quarter or something. As the jerk who once stole all the saves, made his own site with my content and tried to charge people for downloads learned, it's not real profitable. (They folded pretty quick.)

If you're not making a ME:3 or ME:A site, will you be deleting masseffectsaves.com/masseffect2saves.com anytime soon?
Nope! As long as people keep showing up to download saves, the sites will stay up. Although not really profitable, the sites also aren't costing me money. They'll stick around for the forseeable future! Like, many more years to come.

Why do you hate Mass Effect 1 / Bioware and don't want people to play the first game?
This is the exact opposite of the truth. I think everyone should buy and play Mass Effect 1 before playing Mass Effect 2. I've played through ME1 like, probably a dozen times. There are just a LOT of ways to play through the game and not everyone has time or energy to do all of those. Or they might have but lost their saves. If you haven't bought ME1, you should go do that, right now, and play it.

I just submitted my Shepard, how long will it be until she or he is on the site?
I used to try to approve Shepards once a week, but hey, now it's down to like once a year. If you submit your Shepard, expect a long wait til they show up, sorry, now in 2019 the site isn't a big priority for me anymore.

I sent in my Shepard and you didn't credit me!
When we populated the database that may have gotten left off, and I apologize! If you self-submitted using the form, you need to add that into the text box, but I'll be happy to go edit that in. Tweet me.

There is something wrong / broken on your site OR I have important information for you, OR I have a question or suggestion for you, what do I do?
Please contact me!