Mass Effect 2 producer Casey Hudson has revealed that not all Mass Effect 2 saves will work in Mass Effect 3 for players who want to import. That is, if Shepard ends up giving his life for the sake of humanity at the end of Mass Effect 2.

“Dead is dead. Mass Effect 3, as with the rest of the trilogy, is Shepard’s story. If you have a dead Shepard at the end of Mass Effect 2, that saved game won’t import into Mass Effect 3.”

Although, that won’t stop you from playing Mass Effect 3.

“You can play Mass Effect 3 if you died in Mass Effect 2 of course, but you’ll have to create a new Shepard. Harsh? Yes. But we wouldn’t be serious about the concept of a suicide mission if you couldn’t die and your death didn’t have serious consequences.”

Luckily for me, I was able to preserve the lives of Shepard and my crew. You make sure to do the same.

Why You May Not Be Able To Import Your Mass Effect 2 Save To ME 3 [Game Informer]