[Update: Watch the Mass Effect 3 trailer here]

Whoops! EA seemingly just dropped a major, major confirmation on what can easily be labeled one of the most anticipated video games of next year. That's right, for a little while an option to pre-order Mass Effect 3 was available in the EA Online store.

EA removed the image and title moments ago, replacing it with "TBD," but the damage has been done. Mass Effect 3 has been long-rumored as one of the major reveals to take place during the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards and it's rather safe to say now that the mysterious BioWare image is definitely of Mass Effect origin as suspected.

Destructoid nabbed a screenshot of the posting before they took it down, which shows the rather basic box art. Apparently, the game "may contain content inappropriate for children."

Mass Effect 3 preorder

Also on the store item's page was this Mass Effect 3 description which offers a synopsis of the game'

"Earth is burning. Striking from beyond known space, a race of terrifying machines have begun their destruction of the human race. As Commander Shepard, an Alliance Marine, your only hope for saving mankind is to rally the civilizations of the galaxy and launch one final mission to take back the Earth."

Add this interesting mishap to the report we just put up about a Mass Effect 3 trailer likely showing off multiplayer footage tomorrow at the Spike Video Game Awards and it's all coming together. Now, we just await confirmation that BioWare's third Mass Effect game and apparent conclusion to the Commander Shepard trilogy will in fact, contain a new multiplayer mode.

If it does, let's hope that it allows for players to play through Mass Effect 3's campaign co-operatively with friends and that it offers more than just your standard deathmatch. Let's also hope we see the return of vehicular freedom from the first Mass Effect and the end of planet scanning, from Mass Effect 2.

Mass Effect 3 is expected to release late next year but has no official release date. Tomorrow that may change.

Source: Destructoid