This is significant for Tali and Quarian fans alike. But as time passed and more players met the proper conditions to see the image, players realized the replacement image is now officially canon. The new image is so good that players in the thread on the Mass Effect subreddit called it an impressive photoshop. Players who rushed through the Legendary Edition found a fully rendered image of Tali, maskless, sitting on Shepard’s bed stand. Finally, a good look at Tali’s real face Image: BioWare/Electronic Arts via Reddit user Maxgoodsīut the Legendary Edition undoes one of Mass Effect 3’s greatest sins - at least for fans of the geeky, loyal Quarian.

BioWare planted the image in Mass Effect 3 back in 2012 - which was extremely blurry and hard to see - and never updated it. But the original version of the image was a stock photo of what appears to be a dark-haired woman posing in the country. This image of Tali should’ve been a big deal for players back in 2012, as it’s the only chance to see Tali’s true face, despite her presence in all three Mass Effect games. Tali is a Quarian, an alien race that lives their entire lives on ships, leading to a compromised immune system that forces them to wear masks at all times. Players who romance fellow Normandy crewmate Tali’Zorah nar Rayya (known as vas Normandy, due to her affiliation with Shepard’s ship) in both Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 got a special treat in 2012: a picture of Tali without her mask on, set on their bedside table. The old stock image is gone, replaced with a visible rendering of Tali’s visible face, breathing in the non-toxic air of her homeworld, Rannoch.

Players discovered one such change over the weekend, with a major, but easily missable, update to Tali’Zorah’s infamous maskless picture. BioWare clearly put some love into the Mass Effect Legendary edition, with a host of small changes included for the biggest of Mass Effect fans.

Mass effect tali unmasked