“Mass Effect Extended Cut,” released Tuesday, includes some data hidden by BioWare within the game’s files that connects to a new DLC pack.
“Mass Effect Extended Cut,” released Tuesday, includes some data hidden by BioWare within the game’s files that connects to a new DLC pack. Bioware

Players of the "Mass Effect" franchise may have something to look forward to in the near future. On Thursday, the Community Coordinator at BioWare teased fans on Twitter, revealing that an announcement was to come that day.

"Good morning! #MassEffect fans should keep an eye out for news that'll come out later today :-)," Tully Ackland posted.

Ackland also posted tweets about the Electronic Arts Summer Showcase, which takes place on Thursday, where the company is expected to unveil its upcoming releases.

Could this mean that a new "Mass Effect 3" DLC will be announced? It has been reported that BioWare has recently said that it wants to make a single-player add-on that focuses on Commander Shepherd.

"We want to do single-player DLC," producer Mike Gamble said to Joystiq in the middle of July. "We want to do single-player, maybe more multiplayer if people still play it."

Gamble also specified to the gaming news publication that it would focus on the game's protagonist, rather than another character in the "Mass Effect" universe.

The company may already be hard at work on the next DLC installment. When the "Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut" DLC launched at the end of June, players got more than they expected. A leak in the expansion's files revealed that a DLC called "Leviathan" could be the next post-game addition to roll out for final game in BioWare's franchise. The DLC will allegedly follow the story of a rogue Reaper, which will be played by voice actor Anthony Skordi. The so-called "Leviathan" will take place before the ending of "Mass Effect 3," as spoilers published by Eurogamer have indicated. But BioWare has yet to officially announce this expansion, so any information is subject to change and may be considered rumor.

The most recent "Mass Effect 3" DLC is called "Earth," and it is a multiplayer add-on that rolled out on Xbox 360 consoles near the end of July. The "Earth" downloadable expansion gave "Mass Effect" players six new classes, three new maps and three new weapons.

However, there has yet to be a demo for the upcoming Wii U release of "Mass Effect 3," which could also be the announcement Ackland was referring to. On Thursday a list of games that will be available upon launch for the Wii U was allegedly leaked by a Game Stop employee, and "Mass Effect 3" landed on the list of games slated for "Holiday 2012."

It will be interesting to see how "Mass Effect 3" gameplay will be different with the addition of the GamePad controller, so perhaps this is a feature that will be unveiled.

EA also has three "PC/console" titles that are planned for a release between January and March 2013 that have not been formally announced yet, according to Now Gamer. A recent EA investor call indicated this news, although EA CEO John Riccitiello said that "Gamescom is when we do most of the unveiling."

Be sure to tune into the EA Summer Showcase to see if there is any big "Mass Effect" news unveiled. We'll be keeping an eye on the BioWare team's Twitter in the meantime.