Mass Effect Andromeda Multiplayer - Everything We Know

Multiplayer has an important role in Mass Effect Andromeda, though not as much as in Mass Effect 3. It’s a way to get items that you can then transfer to the single player. There’s also gear and characters to unlock for the multiplayer only to make you better prepared, or just fit your play style more. Here’s how multiplayer in ME Andromeda works.

ME Andromeda Multiplayer characters and maps

At the beginning, you’ll have access to twelve characters, all of which are humans divided in several classes, such as Vanguard, Soldier, Infiltrator and the like. Later, you’ll unlock more races, both from the Milky Way and from Andromeda. You’ll have your krogans, asari, turians and so on.

The full roster is currently at 26, though that number might grow as the game gathers more traction. Initially, you’ll have access to five maps, all of which are relatively small, but packed arenas. There will be more maps added to the game as free DLC.

Multiplayer Missions in Mass Effect Andromeda

The basic multiplayer missions are the Apex Strike Team missions. They are wave-based multiplayer missions, and they have an orange mark on the mission selection screen. These are available for a limited time during the day, after which you can’t do them again. New missions are introduced the next day, however. Completing these missions grants you experience points, credits and Pathfinder rewards. Note that once you finish the mission, you won’t get anything other than EXP and mission funds for replaying it. There are mini-objectives that you can complete during the mission for more rewards.

The second mission type is the regular Strike Team. This doesn’t actually involve you. Instead, you send a randomly generated team on a mission. The game provides you with a likelihood of success for that team. They get better with each success, and worse with each failure. They can also get you Pathfinder rewards, but, depending on the team and the mission, it can take them a long, long time.

ME Andromeda Character Progression and Loot

As stated above, successfully participating in multiplayer missions grants you bonuses in both multiplayer and single player. The main three things that you’ll get are EXP, credits and Pathfinder rewards. There’s no special way in which loot is divided among players. Basically, everything your team earns goes into a pool and then you all get some. Here’s what you get.

• Experience points – As you’d expect, EXP levels up your character. Like in ME3, you can get them up to 20. However, this time around, you might want to keep them after they’re maxed out. See, now there’s the Bonus Stat feature. After gaining enough experience, your character will get a bonus stat that your entire roster of characters can also use. That way, you can still use your maxed out character to grind out bonus stats for the others.
• Credits – Credits are an in-game currency that you use to buy packs, which contain random loot. It can be anything, from weapons and consumables to new characters. You need to go back into the lobby in order to buy these packs. Also, you can have an unlimited number of consumables now; no need to melt them to free up space.
• Pathfinder Rewards – These are special items that you can use in single player only. After completing the match, you can get a bronze, silver or gold loot box. These range from credits, materials, research data, items and so on. Which one you get depends on the mission. You can highlight each one in the menu to see the rewards on the bottom right.

Of course, you can buy Andromeda Points with real money. The prices range from five to seventy-five bucks, depending on how much you want to buy. You can then use these to purchase multiplayer items. Check out our Mass Effect Andromeda Microtransaction Prices article for more details. And, if you’re having trouble accessing the multiplayer, check out our How to Play Co-Op in ME Andromeda guide.