To start the Citadel DLC in Mass Effect 3, finish Priority: The Citadel II, read Admiral Hackett’s “Priority: Citadel Shore Leave” message at your private terminal, then dock at the Citadel and pick Personal Apartment. It stays open until you start Priority: Cerberus Headquarters, so you can leave it until late in the game.
It comes with the Legendary Edition, along with the other DLC, so there is nothing extra to install.
How to Start It
- Finish Priority: The Citadel II. The mission will not appear before this.
- Open your private terminal on the Normandy. Read Hackett’s message, titled “Priority: Citadel Shore Leave.” Reading it adds the mission Citadel: Shore Leave to your journal.
- Get ready before you land. See the next section, because the next combat mission begins with almost no warning.
- Fly to the Citadel. At the docking screen, choose Personal Apartment, which is Admiral Anderson’s place.
- Follow the story from there. A dinner with Joker at the Ryuusei restaurant in the Wards leads straight into the first fight.
If you do not see the message, you probably have not finished Priority: The Citadel II. Check back after your next mission if it has not arrived.
Prepare Before You Dock
Once you dock at Personal Apartment, you cannot make purchases or change your powers, and the next mission starts right after the first one. It also puts you into combat with little of your usual gear.
Do these on the Normandy first:
- Reset your powers if you want to. This is the last chance before the fighting starts.
- Pick a bonus power that keeps you alive, such as Defense Matrix or Energy Drain.
- Check your weight capacity. Carry less so your powers recharge faster.
- Claim any bonuses at the Intel Terminal.
What the DLC Contains
These run mostly in order, and most of them chain directly into the next.
| Mission | What it is |
|---|---|
| Citadel: Shore Leave | The apartment and the Normandy’s repairs |
| Citadel Wards: Ambush | The dinner that goes wrong. The first big fight |
| Citadel: Identity Theft I | Shepard works out what is going on |
| Silver Coast Casino: Infiltration | A stealth section at the casino |
| Citadel: Identity Theft II | The trail from the casino pays off |
| Citadel Archives: Escape | A long fight through the archives |
| Docks: Retake the Normandy | The finale of the DLC’s story |
| Citadel: Party | The big crew party, optional and delayable |
After that, the Armax Arena and the Silversun Strip stay open on the Citadel for you to come back to.
Finishing the story line also adds assets: Normandy Repairs and Team Spirit are about 35 each to your Total Military Strength.
The Best Time to Play It
As late as you can, while still having time left. There are two reasons.
The party needs people. Crew invitations go to squadmates whose story in Mass Effect 3 is finished, so recruit Tali, Javik, and your Virmire survivor first, and complete their storylines. Who you saved on Virmire decides who that is. Characters who died earlier, including anyone you lost in the suicide mission, do not come.
Romance scenes are better late. The apartment gets one-on-one scenes with your love interest, and they read better once that romance is fully set.
A good moment is right after Priority: Horizon, with your other side missions done. Priority: Cerberus Headquarters is the hard limit, and our best ending guide explains why that mission matters for the wider game.
How to Throw the Party
The party is its own mission, and you can wait to host it.
- Wait for Joker’s suggestion. It comes right after Docks: Retake the Normandy.
- Buy Party Provisions. Use the kiosk at the bar on the second floor of the Silver Coast Casino. They cost 100 credits.
- Send your invitations. Use the private terminal in the apartment’s office. You can put this off and do other missions first.
Joker, EDI, Liara, James Vega, Steve Cortez, and Samantha Traynor are invited automatically. Everyone else has to have survived and finished their Mass Effect 3 story, so it is worth waiting. Jack needs Grissom Academy: Emergency Evacuation and a visit to Purgatory, Samara needs Kallini: Ardat-Yakshi Monastery, and Miranda only attends if she lives through Priority: Horizon.
The Lockout Point
Priority: Cerberus Headquarters closes the Citadel DLC, along with the rest of the side content. Once you start that mission, you cannot begin the DLC, and you can no longer throw the party.
There is a safety net. After the credits, the game reloads a save from just before that mission. So if you missed the DLC on a first run, you can still go back and play it.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can you start the Citadel DLC? Any time after Priority: The Citadel II, once you read Hackett’s message, and before starting Priority: Cerberus Headquarters.
Is the Citadel DLC included in the Legendary Edition? Yes. There is nothing separate to buy or install.
Why is there no message on my terminal? It only shows up after Priority: The Citadel II. Finish that mission and check again.
Can you miss the Citadel DLC? You can run out of time on a run, but after the credits the game drops you back before the lockout, so you can still play it.
Does the party have a time limit? No, as long as you have not started Priority: Cerberus Headquarters. Do it after your other missions, for the fullest guest list.
Can you play the Armax Arena without finishing the story? It opens after the main DLC story, so play through to Docks: Retake the Normandy first.
Does playing it help with the best ending? A little. It adds about 70 to your total, plus a lot of good character scenes.