User blog comment:Artificial SwordsMen/Sword Art Online III/@comment-1173941-20150724173232

They've already confirmed that SAO will continue to be animated, so long as there is content to be animated in the main story of SAO. Basically, we're getting SAO 3, whether we like it or not.

WHEN we get it is the question, and no announcement has been made to indicate a timescale for it. 2016 is merely a prediction based off of how so far a new season starts every other year.