'Mass Effect: Andromeda' Producer Only Playing His Game, Pre-Release Crunch Begins

“Mass Effect: Andromeda’s” pre-release crunch has seemingly begun with BioWare’s decision to skip Gamescom this week. Its producers have shut out other games, and designers are working through various development toils.

That much is evident by looking at the Twitter accounts of BioWare producer Michael Gamble and designer Jos Hendriks. For Gamble specifically, he told his followers that he’s reached the “part of the project where I stop playing other games, and only play our game, every day for months.” Just the thought of it is something that he calls “incredible.” That being said, he’s made it clear that pleasure isn’t the goal “I don't play it for ‘fun’ (although it’s fun),” he admitted.

Hendricks expressed a similar sentiment of working through the pain. “Sometimes you just gotta soldier on through till the damn thing works,” he said, with the understood #space hashtag. He also discussed a situation where he spoke to gameplay designers about how enemies in the game are coded.

With “Mass Effect: Andromeda’s” early 2017 release deadline fast approaching, BioWare has apparently dug in deep for crunch time. During the months before launch, some of the most strenuous work is done to make sure games are ready for public consumption. The fact that Gamble must shut out all other titles to add that extra layer of polish offers a sense of just how trying that period can be.

While “Mass Effect: Andromeda” wasn’t a part of EA’s Gamescom or E3 plans in a big way, the publisher’s executive vice president, Patrick Soderlund, recently told Game Informer not to worry. “You'll get [your first look at gameplay] in the not too distant future,” he confirmed, adding that “the game will get the right type of exposure at the right time.” That time has been hinted by BioWare developers to be this fall. Franchise announcements are often made during the so-called N7 Day on Nov. 7, so details seem ripe to be shared then.

“Mass Effect: Andromeda” is expected to come to PS4, Xbox One and PC in early 2017.

What do you think of these tweets? Will “Mass Effect: Andromeda” have to be delayed again before it’s released? Tell us in the comments section!