'Dragon Age 4' release date news: Rumored tactical RPG could follow release of 'Mass Effect Andromeda'

Teaser image for Dragon Age TacticsTwitter via Mark Darrah

Back in February, Bioware asked its fanbase if the players were interested in a "Dragon Age Tactics" video game. By the end of April, series executive producer Mark Darrah posted a teaser for what could be the next game in the series on Twitter. However, fans are now speculating that this new game won't launch until mid-2017.

According to a report from Gamespot, "Mass Effect Andromeda" has been delayed to early 2017 and this delay may affect the launch of "Dragon Age 4" or "Dragon Age Tactics," whichever the next game in the franchise is set to be. This delay will guarantee that the two Bioware games do not compete with each other in the market.

The report continues to state that the next "Mass Effect" title may launch between January and March next year. This means the next "Dragon Age" game will not be released until several months after, giving the game a probable summer 2017 release.

In order to satiate fans and further tease the game, Darrah posted the same teaser video again on Twitter, although this time with a series of humorous captions. The video showcases the exact same tease, focusing on the cover of a wolf's head in flames and a castle tower, indicating that the next "Dragon Age" game may be a tactical RPG and its story may focus on Fen'Harel, the "Dread Wolf."

It is important to note that the three current "Dragon Age" games are played in real-time, although players always have the option of pausing the game to line up a query of commands that play out when the game is unpaused. This has been the same mechanic that the developers used back when they made games like "Neverwinter Nights 2."

However, turning the game mechanics into something turn-based, akin to "Fire Emblem" or "Final Fantasy Tactics," would allow the next "Dragon Age" to closely resemble the tabletop games that inspire the series, such as the "Dragon Age" tabletop RPG or "Dungeons and Dragons."