The "core team" who survived the reductions--relocated to the EA Los Angeles campus in Playa Vista--"is forging new ground and conceptualizing new ideas for this exciting franchise," EA group general manager Nick Earl explained in a press statement.

"We are very excited to announce a new instalment in the popular Mercenaries series because it demonstrates our continued commitment to Pandemic's rich catalogue of intellectual properties," said Earl.

Mercenaries Inc. is the first post-'consolidation' announcement for the developer and will be its next game out after stealth shooter The Saboteur's December 8 release.

While EA would not confirm any platforms, the Mercenaries Inc. revealed earlier today by an ex-staffer was apparently headed to PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.