'Mass Effect: Andromeda' news: Release date announced; BioWare promises to fix animation issues

Sheanne Aguila Sunday, January 08, 2017

A promotional image for "Mass Effect: Andromeda." | BioWare/Electronic Arts

"Mass Effect: Andromeda" fans can finally mark their calendars now that BioWare has announced an official release date for the spacefaring RPG.

In a blog post last Wednesday, BioWare executive Aaryn Flynn revealed that the game will arrive on March 21 in North America, followed by a European release scheduled for March 23. The launch date was confirmed ahead of the game's appearance at the Consumer Electronics Show, where a brand new gameplay trailer was unveiled.

"We appreciate your patience (and in fact, even your lack of patience in some instances) as we've been focused on completing the game," Flynn said. The studio's General Manager went on to discuss how EA's frostbite engine will enable the game to deliver a "tremendous graphical jump" as compared to its predecessor, "Mass Effect 3."

"To deliver on this, we're taking all the time we can to make sure you're getting the best possible experience," he added.

Fans last saw "Mass Effect: Andromeda" at December's The Game Awards 2016 and during the N7 Day, wherein a cinematic look at the RPG was shown. Although the clip from The Game Awards received a lot of positive comments, many fans took to social media to complain about the trailer's lackluster visuals, particularly on one scene featuring protagonist Sara Ryder.

Flynn has recently responded to the issue through Twitter, along with a positive message about the title's lead character. He also assured fans that the developers are working on improvements to address the technical problem in question.

"Sara Ryder is awesome. Strong, funny, and adventurous," the BioWare GM tweeted. "Sorry there's a facial performance bug that lets her down here. We'll improve it."

The shooter video game serves as a follow-up to "Mass Effect 3," which left off with Commander Shepherd's travel through space. Compared to the previous franchises, "Andromeda" will not feature the trilogy's characters and storylines as it will focus on a new crew.