BioWare's new, announced project, which general manager Aaryn Flynn described in January as "a unique IP that will bring players together in exciting new ways," had been expected to be ready for release during EA's current fiscal year, which ends in March 2018. As reported by Polygon, however, EA CEO Andrew Wilson said during an earnings call today that it has been moved into FY2019, meaning it won't be out until April 2018 at the soonest, and possibly not until the first quarter of 2019.
"We’re very pleased with the progress of our new action IP from BioWare. The design is stunning. Gameplay mechanics are excellent, and the action will be exhilarating," Wilson said. "The game is built around a live service, and through our creative process, we decided to add more to the disruptive new social design for our players. To accommodate that, we are moving the launch date for this project into fiscal year 19.”
Almost nothing is known about the game at this point, except that it's code-named "Dylan" according to Kotaku, and, as Flynn said, will be set in "a new universe full of new characters, stories and gameplay." BioWare's ambitions are "simple," he added: "Draw upon 20+ years of development knowledge and lessons to create something fun and new for you to enjoy with your friends."
According to GamesIndustry, Wilson also stated that EA is "very happy with BioWare," despite the cooler-than-expected response to Mass Effect: Andromeda, and that the delay is not a sign of concerns about the game's quality.
