BioWare's new series may release as soon as March next year, EA claims

During an investors conference call today, BioWare publisher Electronic Arts discussed the Mass Effect studio's "New IP", which has been in development since 2012. According to EA CEO Andrew Wilson, the game is scheduled to release by March 31, 2018 – in other words, before the publisher's 2017 fiscal year finishes.

That's not long for a game we still haven't heard much about. According to Wilson it's not an RPG but instead an "action-adventure" game, though he added that "great RPG character development and story progression" would feature. So it's officially not an RPG but also, in some ways, it is.

Perhaps noting the awkwardness of having major entertainment news roll out during dry corporate conferences, BioWare's Aaryn Flynn made an announcement on the studio's blog shortly after, promising that he'd have more to say about the game in the coming months.

"In 2012, we began crafting a new universe full of new characters, stories, and gameplay," he wrote. "Our ambition is simple: Draw upon 20+ years of development knowledge and lessons to create something fun and new for you to enjoy with your friends."

That doesn't tell us a great deal. The game was apparently "revealed" at GDC last year, though in a manner which nobody noticed. The studio's latest game, Mass Effect: Andromeda, will release on March 21.