Another Clue Points to Mass Effect: Andromeda's Release Date

While we've received quite a bit of new information about Mass Effect: Andromeda this week, the game is still without an official release date. Despite that, for the second time, information on an Amazon listing points to a specific date: March 21.

Digital codes for Andromeda are now up for sale on Amazon. Like other versions of the game, this features a placeholder release date (in this case, December 29, 2017), but as pointed out by Wario64, the photo of the game voucher itself says "Playable on 21-Mar-2016." The year is presumably an error (March 21 was on a Monday this year, so it's probably not a matter of being outdated), but it does suggest the game launch out this coming March 21.

On its own, this might seem a bit dubious, but keep in mind it's not the first time we've seen that date. The listing for the upcoming art book tie-in for Andromeda carries a March 21 release date, and a since-removed portion of the description stated the book would release "simultaneously with the game." A March 21 date also lines up nicely with both the release window EA has given investors (between January and March) and the one seen in the new trailer (Spring 2017, which begins on March 20).

More interesting is the digital game's use of the phrase "playable." This could prove to be meaningless, but it may indicate a full release won't happen on that day--EA and Origin Access members may receive early access to the game, as is the norm with most (but not all) EA games.

EA just recently had a particularly confusing release schedule for Battlefield 1, which was first playable to you on one of three dates depending upon which version you preordered and if you were an Access member. The first access to Battlefield 1 offered limited time with only some single-player and multiplayer content. With an even more story-driven game like Mass Effect, it's possible that could be the case again, as Andromeda does have a multiplayer component.

We continue to learn more about Andromeda, including details on its New Game+ mode and romance options. A new gameplay trailer is scheduled to arrive during the 2016 Game Awards, which take place on December 1.