Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Pokemon Winds and Waves
  • New Games for 2026
  • GamesRadar+ Replay
  • Mario Day deals
Don't miss these
Mass Effect 5: What appears to be Liara appearing in the first teaser for the Next Mass Effect game
Mass Effect Mass Effect 5: Everything we know so far about the new BioWare adventure
Leon drives his Porsche into streets at night in Resident Evil Requiem
Resident Evil Even Nintendo is thirst-posting about Resident Evil's Leon Kennedy on main: "Absolutely jacked"
Crimson Desert
RPGs How to change appearance, hair, and dye armor in Crimson Desert
Kratos approaches Aphrodite's bedchamber in God of War 3
God of War "The God of War sex mini-games were designed by women," which is why Aphrodite's bed looks "like a labia"
Leon frowns in the care center in Resident Evil Requiem
Resident Evil Resident Evil's Leon Kennedy has gone from "babygirl with the cat ears" to "hot unc" in Requiem, actor agrees
Nier Automata
FPS Games With Nier Automata, Overwatch is collecting JRPG crossovers like Infinity Stones, but fans aren't happy with the skins
Dispatch screenshots
Adventure Games Dispatch season 2 isn't even confirmed, but I'm wondering how it could handle the battle of the best girl
Marathon
FPS Games Marathon server slam leaves fans convinced a multi-colored shellfish is Bungie's next big community puzzle
Resident Evil Requiem
Survival Horror Games Resident Evil Requiem director says you can thank the "strict" women at Capcom for "hot uncle" Leon Kennedy
Upcoming video game movies - Firewatch
Adventure Games New Xbox boss says great games make you "feel something," unexpectedly calls out 2016's Firewatch
Fallout 3 screenshot shows a male character walking alongside a dog.
Fallout Fallout 3 is famously green, but series co-creator Tim Cain didn't notice because he's colorblind: "I was blown away"
Anran in Overwatch 2
FPS Games Blizzard yields, new Overwatch hero Anran will be redesigned after players complained about everyone looking like Kiriko
The Witcher 3 Triss and Yennefer
The Witcher The Witcher 3's Yen is "like a naggy mom," Geralt actor says, but her and Triss are both "absolutely stonkin' ladies"
best BioWare games
RPGs The 10 best BioWare games of all time
Exodus
RPGs More than Mass Effect's spiritual successor, Exodus wants to pull decades of player choice into a single story
  1. Games
  2. RPG
  3. Mass Effect
  4. Mass Effect 3

Blonde female Commander Shepard wins BioWare's box art competition

News
By Matt Bradford published 27 July 2011

Winning design to grace collector's edition box

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

At long last, and after months of heated debate and speculation, BioWare has revealed one of Mass Effect 3's key details: the default color of female Commander Shepard's hair. After tallying the results of itsFacebook fan-poll, the studioannounced via Twitterthat the universe's most rough-and-tumble female space warrior will be blonde; leaving some to wonder what staggering impacts this will have on the fate of the human race, and others to wonder if BioWare is running out of ways to hype its upcoming sequel.

TheFacebook promotion, which ended this week, asked visitors to 'like' their favorite female Commander Shepard character design. Out of the six possible candidates (most of which were near identical save for hair color and style), fans selected the blonde Commander Shepard by a generous margin, winningher the starring role on Mass Effect 3's Collector's Edition box. At last check, the space captain with the golden locks (pictured left) had garnered nearly 25,000 votes, while the retro-Posh Spice (pictured right) version languished in second place with 9,700.

So there it is: gentleman (and gentlewomen, of course) really do prefer blondes ...at least when it comes to those representing mankind's last great hope. Check her out in full below:

You may like
  • Commander Shepard in Mass Effect Jennifer Hale has "no idea" if Shepard will return in Mass Effect 5, but if you ask nicely, maybe BioWare will listen
  • Garrus in Mass Effect 3 The Mass Effect 3 scene with Garrus, you know the one, made Shepard actor Jennifer Hale "break"
  • Commander Shepard in Mass Effect OG Mass Effect Shephard actors would be there "with bells on" if BioWare brought them back for Mass Effect 5

The third and final chapter in the Mass Effect trilogy is scheduled to begin on March 6, 2012. In the meantime, check out our most recenthands-on preview for Mass Effect 3from Comic-Con 2011.

Jul 26, 2011

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
CATEGORIES
PC Gaming PlayStation Xbox Platforms
Matt Bradford
Social Links Navigation

Matt Bradford wrote news and features here at GamesRadar+ until 2016. Since then he's gone on to work with the Guinness World Records, acting as writer and researcher for the annual Gamer's Edition series of books, and has worked as an editor, technical writer, and voice actor. Matt is now a freelance journalist and editor, generating copy across a multitude of industries. 

Read more
Commander Shepard in Mass Effect
Jennifer Hale has "no idea" if Shepard will return in Mass Effect 5, but if you ask nicely, maybe BioWare will listen
 
 
Garrus in Mass Effect 3
The Mass Effect 3 scene with Garrus, you know the one, made Shepard actor Jennifer Hale "break"
 
 
Commander Shepard in Mass Effect
OG Mass Effect Shephard actors would be there "with bells on" if BioWare brought them back for Mass Effect 5
 
 
Mass Effect Legendary Edition
5 years on, I still think about Mass Effect Legendary Edition's symbolic first trailer
 
 
Fallout 3 helmet
The very first Fallout 3 art was the box art, but the most difficult bit to create was the iconic Vault suit
 
 
BioWare
Skyrim lead thinks Mass Effect 5 would benefit from looking to Baldur's Gate 3 or being more of a "Bethesda-style game"
 
 
Latest in Mass Effect
Commander Shepard smiles bizarrely in Mass Effect
Mass Effect DLC prototype uncovered after 19 years with a look at the cut side mission that became Bring Down the Sky
 
 
The Witcher 4
CDPR welcomes new AI director, who joins The Witcher 4 studio "after 8 years of building memorable RPGs at BioWare"
 
 
BioWare
Skyrim lead thinks Mass Effect 5 would benefit from looking to Baldur's Gate 3 or being more of a "Bethesda-style game"
 
 
Mass Effect 5
Mass Effect 5 starts hiring for a new lead developer as BioWare remains tight-lipped about its next RPG
 
 
BioWare
Mass Effect 5 might release "a long time" after The Veilguard as BioWare's become a "one project studio," veteran says
 
 
Garrus in Mass Effect 3
The Mass Effect 3 scene with Garrus, you know the one, made Shepard actor Jennifer Hale "break"
 
 
Latest in News
Battlefield 6
Battlefield 6 designers say developers have a "responsibility" to make games intuitive
 
 
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Gustave winces
"The first track spoils the whole game": Clair Obscur Expedition 33 dev confirms it was filling your ears with spoilers
 
 
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 lead Gustave faces a gommage
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 took inspiration from a surprising anime - Soul Eater creator's Fire Force
 
 
A close-up of Grace talking with someone through glass in Resident Evil Requiem
Resident Evil Requiem leads let actors re-do "technically" perfect scenes if it made them happy, says Grace actor
 
 
Kratos approaches Aphrodite's bedchamber in God of War 3
"The God of War sex mini-games were designed by women," which is why Aphrodite's bed looks "like a labia"
 
 
Alan Ritchson in Reacher season 3
Reacher star Alan Ritchson says season 4 is coming this year: "It's by far the best season we've had yet"
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Battlefield 6
    1
    Battlefield 6 designers say developers have a "responsibility" to make games intuitive
  2. 2
    "The first track spoils the whole game": Clair Obscur Expedition 33 dev confirms it was filling your ears with spoilers
  3. 3
    Super Mario Galaxy Movie reveals Donald Glover as the voice of Yoshi and more new casting in a star-spanning trailer
  4. 4
    Reacher star Alan Ritchson says season 4 is coming this year: "It's by far the best season we've had yet"
  5. 5
    Clair Obscur Expedition 33 took inspiration from a surprising anime - Soul Eater creator's Fire Force

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...