BioWare is ramping up the anticipation for the next Mass Effect game by unveiling a new teaser trailer and asking people to join "the Andromeda Initiative."
We already know that the next entry in the Mass Effect franchise is set many years after the events of the third game. The narrator's description of "a future that begins 600 years from where we stand" suggests it's been six centuries since the days of Commander Shepard and his (or her) crew.
Signing up to the Andromeda Initiative mentioned at the end of the video will make you a "Mass Effect Insider." Essentially, it's a mailing list, though the website does mention "special training opportunities" and a "reward upon program completion," so there could be other perks, such as early beta access.
Andromeda was originally scheduled to launch sometime during the holiday period of 2016 but it was delayed until the end of EA's current fiscal year - March 2017. During the company's financial briefing yesterday, CFO Blake Jorgensen said the firm wouldn't hesitate in delaying the game again by up to five months, should extra work be required.
"We're willing to make moves in launch dates if we feel that it's necessary to deliver the right player experience. Our guidance assumes that Mass Effect continues to be in this [fiscal] year, but it gives us some flexibility that we might choose to move it either a week or three, or four, or five months if we have to based on what we want to make sure in terms of delivering the right experience to the players," he said.
This doesn't mean Andromeda is facing the possibility of another delay; the game is still on target to hit its release date. "Our focus is on building great games, and right now Mass Effect is tracking extremely well, the game looks beautiful, and we're really pleased with its progress," Jorgenson added.
More details about the game and the Andromeda Initiative will arrive on November 7, better known as N7 day to Mass Effect fans.