Dragon Age III: Inquisition hitting late 2013

BioWare officially announced the next entry in the Dragon Age series today. Writing on the BioWare website, executive producer Mark Darrah revealed the project as Dragon Age III: Inquisition.

Due out in late 2013, Dragon Age III: Inquisition will run on a new engine, with the team at BioWare using DICE's Frostbite 2 as a foundation. This engine will allow the company to build a "more expansive world" with improved visuals, more "reactivity" to player choices, and deeper customization options.

It was not mentioned which platforms Dragon Age III: Inquisition is in development for, and an Electronic Arts representative told GameSpot, "We have nothing further to announce right now." Next-generation consoles from Microsoft and Sony are rumored to be on store shelves during late 2013.

Darrah further explained that much of the same team that has been working on Dragon Age since Dragon Age: Origins remains on board for Dragon Age III: Inquisition. In addition to the veteran developers, he noted that BioWare has added new talent as well.

Dragon Age III: Inquisition is in development at BioWare Edmonton and BioWare Montreal.

The game's announcement today comes as little surprise. BioWare has been openly hiring for Dragon Age III since May 2011. Additionally, the company spoke at PAX East in April and not-so-subtly suggested that co-op gameplay was planned for the next entry in the series.

Darrah added that fan feedback and communication is important to BioWare with Dragon Age III: Inquisition. He said BioWare is aiming to be "as open as we can" regarding development on the project, and said gamers should always feel free to provide feedback.

Lastly, in an accompanying press release, publisher EA revealed that the Dragon Age series has now moved over 8 million units. The franchise launched in 2009 with Dragon Age: Origins, with a sequel in Dragon Age II arriving in 2011.