PrimeRadiancy
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Let me run something by you guys real quick.
🕑 Added 2025-06-22 12:50:53 +0000 UTCSo I'm about to have Obama go into detail about how the timeline between ME2 and ME3 looks, and you guys tell me if this makes sense.
Mass Effect Andromeda Initiation (Novel) says rumors of Shepard appearing on Omega surface on Feb. 15, 2185.
Presumably this is when we head to Omega to recruit Mordin, as that's the only thing you're required to do.
The Alliance News Network Report (pictured below) says the Reapers attack the Batarians on Sept. 21st, 2186.
We know the Reapers go from the Batarians straight to Earth, so the beginning of Mass Effect 3 takes place in the same general time as that ANN report.
Shepard is imprisoned on Earth for 6 months, which would mean they turn themselves in sometime in March of 2186.
This is conveniently the same month that Doctor Bryson from the Leviathan DLC talks about the possibility of the Rachni being used by Leviathan. Specifically, Bryson's log is dated March 7th, 2186. Meaning Hackett got Bryson looking for Leviathan either shortly before or after Shepard goes to prison.
Anyway, I figure Mass Effect 2 must take place over the course of around 13 months February 2185 - March 2186. Crudely demonstrated in the Paint timeline below.
This, of course, all assumes Shepard doesn't delay in going back to Earth after the Collectors are defeated and ignores the events of the Arrival DLC.
Comments
Rebel Nutts
Regardless if they do the collector base first or after arrival I'm pretty sure both times he'd go straight back to the alliance.
UnyieldingTurnip
Aside from the Arrival DLC, I don't think there are any major contradictions. I did do some light googling to double check your numbers and fell down the rabbit hole of Grunt's birthday however. Grunt says it's his birthday during the Citadel DLC; I’ve seen estimates that ME3 takes place over roughly 3 months, so going with that his birthday is sometime between September and December. If we hold to your original estimate that ME2 takes place over 13 months, this is quite plausible assuming Shepard delays opening the Grunt’s tank for at least 7 months or did his loyalty mission later (if Krogan birthdays are counted from their Rite of Passage). However, if we take the estimate that ME2 finished in 2-3 months as others have suggested, this doesn’t work since then Grunt would have been “born” between February and May. That’s with a 12 month Earth year however, which Grunt may not be using. A Tuchanka year is too long at 16.7 Earth years, while a Korlus year is 1.5 Earth years, or 18 months. Conveniently, this would place his birthday between August and November 2186. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting these dates to actually line up and this almost certainly a coincidence.
