BioWare announced via their forums this afternoon that Mass Effect 3 would be sliding out of its original release window of Holiday 2011 and into early 2012. The coincidence of this announcement’s timing with today’s date (May 4th, also known as Star Wars Day — “May The Fourth Be With You”) makes it all too tempting to throw in a cheap joke about millions of voices crying out in terror, then being suddenly silenced, but I shall resist.

The series’ Executive Producer, Casey Hudson, had the following to say:

Today we have confirmed that Mass Effect 3 will be released in the first three months of 2012. The development team is laser focused on making sure Mass Effect 3 is the biggest, boldest and best game in the series, ensuring that it exceeds everyone’s expectations.

Well, I think it goes without saying that Portal 2 now has one less title to jockey with for 2011′s Game of the Year. Besides, it’s not as if an early-year release hurt Mass Effect 2‘s sales or mindshare at all, right? And if the world does indeed end in 2012, the conclusion to Commander Shepard’s saga would certainly be one hell of a note to go out on.

[Via: BioWare Forums]