Mass Effect Andromeda’s 2017 delay made official

Mass Effect Andromeda won’t be coming out this year. We were already pretty sure of that after EA’s CFO referred to the game being pushed into EA’s fourth financial quarter. Now, though, we have word directly from BioWare, along with an update of what we can expect.

“One of our biggest ambitions is to give players an unprecedented level of freedom for a Mass Effect experience,” wrote BioWare general Manager Aaryn Flynn. “Where you’ll go, how you’ll get there, how you’ll play.”

Flynn said that “we’re leaving the Milky Way behind and headed to Andromeda, where we’ll meet new allies, confront new enemies, and explore fascinating new worlds,” adding that this will be the first Mass Effect game built on EA’s Frostbite engine. That, he said, will enable them to deliver visuals, story, and gameplay that have never been done in franchise history.”

Flynn wrote that he team feels they’re “taking the game in the right direction,” but they want time to finish it. Flynn echoed the early 2017 release date previously hinted at. He did say, though, that they’ll be providing some kind of update at the EA Play press conference on June 12, just before E3.