Namco Bandai Games America have announced that the release date for Armored Core V is set for March 20th, 2012 in North America and on March 23rd in Europe.

Far from the simulation genre, the Armored Core franchise is known for its intense action-oriented mech battles; however, this time around, there will be more of a tactical component when encountering the enemy. The new title in the series will also have a massive online component focusing on huge team-based skirmishes, a robust single player campaign, and a “completely new atmosphere.” Mechs, or ‘Armored Cores’ will be completely customizable and have “countless unlockable parts” for players to create their own weapons.

“Gamers have been eagerly anticipating the release of ARMORED CORE V, which will bring strategic mech combat to new heights,” said Eiichi Nakajima, studio head, FromSoftware, Inc. “With cooperative missions, a persistent online world battling for territories and epic team battles, ARMORED CORE V is the complete action shooter package.”

The new Operator Mode puts one player in a leadership role by giving them the ability to supply his teammates with enemy positions, movements, and other details.

Namco Bandai also confirmed that those who pre-order the game from North American GameStop stores, as well as GameStop.com, will have exclusive access to the ‘Heavy Assault Pack’, which includes additional weapons and parts to further customize their mechs.

Armored Core V will be available for the XBox 360 and PS3.