Today BioWare made a surprise announcement dropping the release dates for the massively anticipated Mass Effect Andromeda.

The game will launch in North America on Tuesday, March 21st, 2017, and in Europe two days later, on March 23rd.

General Manager Aaryn Flynn provided more color on what brought to locking the release on those dates, mentioning that the team is taking all the time it can to make sure that fans will get the best possible experience:

"Mass Effect: Andromeda is our most ambitious Mass Effect game to 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 Frostbite^TM game engine, an incredible engine that’s delivering a tremendous graphical jump from the trilogy to Mass Effect: Andromeda. To deliver on this, we’re taking all the time we can to make sure you’re getting the best possible experience."

Interestingly, developers were allowed to bring home a build of the game over the Holidays, and the positive feedback generated by that version contributed to the decision that the game is ready for a March release.

"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. 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."

Flynn also mentioned the passion of the community, and the excitement of the team about how far the franchise is going.

"Even more exciting for us over the last couple of months has been seeing the excitement build in the community as we’ve started to share more about the game. The passion you have for the franchise continues to drive us. And now, we’re just a couple of months away from delivering a brand new Mass Effect experience to you for the first time in five years – richer, deeper and ready for exploration. We’re excited about how far we are going with the franchise, and we hope you find it’s been worth the wait."

This shouldn't be the only piece of Mass Effect news you get today, as new gameplay is scheduled to be showcased this evening during Nvidia's CES keynote. Of course you'll be able to see it here on DualShockers as soon as it hits the internet.

Mass Effect Andromeda will launch for PS4, Xbox One and PC.