Update: Operation Goliath was a success!

Though, over the past week or so, it has been Mass Effect 3's single player, specifically its ending, that has been getting the bulk of gamers' attention — with everything from a petition to donations being collected in an effort to alter the game's events — there is still a whole other portion of the game that BioWare wants gamers to get interested in. In fact, participating in the multiplayer in Mass Effect 3 helps improve the quality of the ending players receive in the single player, along with completing tasks in the iOS game and what not.

In an effort to sway gamers towards Mass Effect 3's multiplayer, BioWare has announced a Challenge Weekend, complete with a few incentives that will not only reward players for completing various missions, but for completing them as a team. But these rewards aren't silly weapon skins like those featured in Gears of War 3, these are items that can be obtained nowhere else but through this challenge, as some were part of the N7 Collector's Edition.

Starting today at 5PM PST and running all the way until 5AM on Monday, the N7 Challenge Weekend asks players to complete either of two challenges in order to earn themselves a Commendation Pack or a Victory Pack. In the Commendation Pack will be one "exceptionally rare item" that cannot be obtained through a regularly purchased Reinforcement Pack.

How to earn each is detailed below:

Operation Goliath

  • Any player who is part of a squad that beats the Reaper faction on Silver difficulty or better will unlock one Commendation Pack. This means that at least one member of the squad must be extracted at the end of the mission — this will earn all squad members the reward. Each player can earn a maximum of one pack and each pack contains a random N7 Arsenal Weapon. Originally only available as single-player weapons via the N7 Collector’s Edition, these multiplayer variants will be exceptionally rare and are NOT obtainable through regular purchasable Reinforcement Packs. The Commendation Packs will contain one of the following guns at random: (1) N7 Crusader Shotgun, (2) N7 Eagle Pistol, (3) N7 Hurricane SMG and (4) N7 Valiant Sniper Rifle.
  • Destroy as many brutes as possible — if the multiplayer community kills a combined 1 MILLION brutes within the hours of the challenge, ALL players will receive a Victory Pack as a reward.

Based on the titling of this Challenge weekend's objectives as Operation Goliath it is our assumption that this event won't be the last of its kind, so fans of the Special Forces multiplayer should be really excited by this news.

It's important to note that the rewards that are unlocked during the N7 Challenge Weekend will become available Tuesday night, and must be redeemed within a week or else they will expire. Also, in order to ensure your Brute kills and mission completion is being tabulating, BioWare asks that players verify the upload gameplay feedback toggle is set to 'ON'.

It should be a really fun weekend for Mass Effect 3 fans, a chance to earn some multiplayer rewards, and to take their minds off the controversy over the ending. Multiplayer isn't necessarily a big part of Mass Effect 3, in terms of its overall impact on players, but BioWare would sure like it to be.

Do you plan on participating in the N7 Challenge Weekend? Which of the two rewards are you more interested in earning?

Mass Effect 3 is out now for the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.