Before Star Wars: Battlefront launches on November 17th, EA will host an open beta test in early October for all Rebels and Imperials to enjoy across PC (via Origin), PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

The beta will provide sampler access to the 40-player, 20-versus-20 Walker Assault on Hoth battle, in which the Rebel team fights to take down an attacking AT-AT while the Empire team escorts it to destroy a Rebel base. Both Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker will be available as playable characters in this mode.

Survival Mission on Tatooine will also be included for solo and co-op horde mode action against waves of Stormtroopers, AT-STs, and other Imperial forces.

Newly announced Drop Zone is another mode that will be featured in the beta, but more details about what the mode entails will be announced later.

Lastly, access to the Star Wars Battlefront Companion app will be provided during the beta phase, allowing players to check stats, customize loadouts, connect with friends, and play a strategic card game called Base Command in order to earn in-game credits good towards unlocking additional weapons and other content. The companion app will be available in a web browser version, as well as from the Apple and Google Play app stores.

Revealed during EA’s E3 2015 press conference, BioWare is hard at work on Mass Effect: Andromeda, a new story taking place in a distant galaxy long after the original trilogy. While exploring the Andromeda galaxy, you will play as a male or female protagonist and meet a “new team of adventurers to work with, learn from, fight alongside of, and fall in love with.”

Mass Effect: Andromeda is scheduled for release on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One during the 2016 holiday season. You’ve got plenty of time to go back and replay the original trilogy, even though it sounds like you won’t need to in terms of narrative carry over.

The announcement trailer embedded up top is rendered in the game’s Frostbite engine. What’s shown is not actual in-game quality, but it is the “visual target” for what BioWare aims to achieve with the finished product.

An early introduction to the world of Mass Effect: Andromeda has been posted over at the BioWare blog.

Already geeking out over the new The Force Awakens trailer, Star Wars fanboys and fangirls may go into total nerd meltdown over today’s Star Wars: Battlefront reveal from EA, DICE, and Lucasfilm.

Star Wars Battlefront will allow fans to live out a wide range of heroic moments and intense battle fantasies of their own – firing blasters, riding speeder bikes and snow speeders, commanding AT-ATs and piloting TIE fighters and the Millennium Falcon. These battles will take place on some of the most iconic planets in the Star Wars universe, including Endor, Hoth, Tatooine and the previously unexplored planet, Sullust. Gamers will be able to play as some of the most memorable characters in the original trilogy such as Darth Vader and Boba Fett. Star Wars Battlefront will feature a wide range of modes tailored for different types of battles, from larger 40-person competitive multiplayer to crafted missions that are played solo, with a friend via split-screen offline or co-operatively online.

Powered by the Frostbite 3 engine, Star Wars: Battlefront is scheduled to launch November 17th on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Take a look at the reveal trailer below.

At the Edmonton Comic & Entertainment Expo earlier today, BioWare teased some early details and concept artwork for Dragon Age III: Inquisition.

First, the concept art. You’re looking at it with lust in your eyes right now no doubt. It’s really gorgeous stuff. Not in-game graphics of course, but with the game harnessing the might of the Frostbite 2 engine it’s sure to be a looker.

As for actual game details, BioWare still isn’t giving away a whole lot, but producer Cameron Lee live-tweeted a few interesting tidbits from the panel (per Kotaku).

In terms of scale, one level in Dragon Age III will supposedly be larger than every level in Dragon Age II combined. Character customization will also go deeper than Dragon Age Origins, including “follower customization.”

As for the story, players will be cast in the role of a human (suggesting that there won’t be multiple race options) and “backgrounds will be in Dragon Age 3 even though you will be human, it’s not playable but it does significant impact on the story.” Save game imports will be supported as well, in so far as previous choices will carry over. BioWare is also “investigating some ways without save imports.” It sounds like Flemeth will be returning in some form too: “it feels wrong to not have a “little” Flemeth in your game *grin*, according to creative director Mike Laidlaw.

Finally, in accompaniment to this piece of castle concept art (directly above) BioWare has hinted at players being able to take control of their own castle. That could be very interesting.

Dragon Age III: Inquisition is currently on target for a late fall 2013 launch. Back with more info/art/screens as soon as it’s available.

Today, BioWare has officially unveiled Dragon Age 3: Inquisition, due for release in late 2013 for undisclosed platforms. PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 are obviously expected, but a Wii U version should also be likely considering Mass Effect 3 is getting a launch-window port to Nintendo’s new console this holiday season. That’s just educated guessing on my part.

With at least a year left in development, BioWare isn’t dishing out much in terms of details, but did want to get a jump on the rumor mill to at least announce the game’s existence. As if we didn’t already know it was coming.

Really, the only important bits of information confirmed so far are the late 2013 release target, the official subtitle of Inquisition, and that the third age of dragons will be powered by DICE’s Frostbite 2 engine tech, which should lead to Dragon Age 3 being the most visually impressive game in the series. Of course, BioWare also goes on and on about how they’ve listened closely to feedback from the two previous games to ensure this Dragon Age is the one fans want.

“The Dragon Age team has been working on Dragon Age 3: Inquisition for almost two years now,” said Aaryn Flynn, General Manager of BioWare Edmonton and BioWare Montreal. “We’ve been poring over player feedback from past games and connecting directly with our fans. They haven’t held back, so we’re not either. With Dragon Age 3: Inquisition, we want to give fans what they’re asking for – a great story with choices that matter, a massive world to explore, deep customization and combat that is both tactical and visceral.”

Didn’t they say similar things when Dragon Age 2 was announced? How’d that work out?

Note: Top image is from Dragon Age II, not Dragon Age 3. But the logo is the official Dragon Age 3 logo.