Mass Effect: Andromeda release date set for March

BioWare has announced that Mass Effect: Andromeda will be out on March 21 in North America, and March 23 in Europe. BioWare general manager Aaryn Flynn revealed the date in a message in which he described Andromeda as "our most ambitious Mass Effect game to date," and also offered insight as to why the launch date has been held back for so long. 

"Over this holiday break, developers at BioWare took home a version of the game in what we call the 'holiday build.' This is a longstanding studio tradition that goes back to the early days of the original Mass Effect. Many load up a PC or console and go home to play as much as possible at their leisure," Flynn wrote. "Coming back from holiday, the feedback has been great. Getting the endorsement from members of our studio, many of whom played key roles on the original trilogy, was definitely a key factor in helping us lock in on the date." 

"We’re telling completely new stories, creating new characters, new planets, new species, and introducing new gameplay systems. And for the first time, we’re bringing Mass Effect to the FrostbiteT game engine, an incredible engine that’s delivering a tremendous graphical jump from the trilogy to Mass Effect: Andromeda," he wrote. "To deliver on this, we’re taking all the time we can to make sure you’re getting the best possible experience." 

BioWare will show off new Mass Effect: Andromeda environments and gameplay during the Nvidia keynote at CES, which begins tonight at 6:30 pm PT/9:30 pm ET. 

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.