Mass Effect: Andromeda’s Release Date Announced

One of the most anticipated games of 2017 now has a solid release date.

Bioware has announced on the Mass Effect website that Mass Effect: Andromeda will launch on March 21st in North America for PS4, Xbox One and PC, both in physical and digital forms. Europe will get the game two days later on March 23rd.

Aaryn Flynn, General Manager of BioWare, calls Mass Effect: Andromeda the “most ambitious” game in the series to date. The team is using Electronic Arts’ Frostbite engine, which is usually seen in the Battlefield series, which should mean a graphical jump between Andromeda and the original Mass Effect trilogy.

The game must be very close to completion, as Flynn adds that developers at Bioware took home a version of the game they called a “holiday build” over the holidays to test it out on their personal PCs or consoles, then return with feedback on what adjustments, if any, needed to be made.

Designed as a jumping on point for new fans as well as a spot for those who enjoyed the original trilogy to continue exploring the mythology, Mass Effect: Andromeda takes place 600 years after the adventures of Commander Shepard, meaning you probably won’t be encountering any of the original trilogy’s characters, although Bioware hasn’t ruled it out for a potential sequel. Gamers will control either Sara or Scott Ryder as they search for a new home for humanity. Either of the Ryder siblings is customizable at the start of the campaign, and each has their own unique storyline.

Much like Mass Effect 3, Bioware does plan a multiplayer element for Mass Effect: Andromeda, but while it won’t be seen as “crucial” to the single-player campaign as in its predecessor, it does apparently feed into a “meta-story” within the game’s main storyline.

We’re obviously excited to play Mass Effect: Andromeda when it’s released. What are your thoughts on the newest entry in the Mass Effect franchise?