Mass Effect 2 is an action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 on January 26, 2010, and for PlayStation 3 on January 18, 2011. The game features a variety of downloadable content packs that were released from January 2010 to May 2011 on Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and BioWare's Social Network. The downloadable content ranges from single in-game character outfits to entirely new plot-related missions. Notable packs include "Kasumi - Stolen Memory", "Overlord", "Lair of the Shadow Broker", and "Arrival". The downloadable content of Mass Effect 2 was generally well received by critics and some packs were nominated for Best DLC (downloadable content) at the Spike Video Game Awards.
New purchases of the game are provided with a one-time use card granting access code that unlocks the game's Cerberus Network, an online downloadable content and news service that enables bonus content for the game. However, users who buy the game used have to pay for the Cerberus Network separately if they want access to the bonus content. The downloadable content packs that require the Cerberus Network are free, while those that do not require it are priced. The content listed as promotional content was only available to the Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 versions of the game through limited promotional opportunities. Later, most of these packs were bundled together into larger packages and exclusively released on the PlayStation Network for PlayStation 3 users.