Ioane, who was set to play for Otago tomorrow against Tasman in Nelson before pulling out as his second child is due any day, said he was a free agent next season.
''I could honestly not tell you what I am doing next year. I am off contract with both the Highlanders and Otago,'' he said.
''I would love to come back here but I've just got to weigh up the options.''
Ioane (25) first played for Otago in 2011, coming south from Wellington, where he was crowded out by a logjam of loose forwards.
He quickly found his feet and in 2013 was one of the few bright spots in a disappointing Highlanders campaign.
This year, though, the Highlanders and Ioane never really got together. A niggly ankle injury did not help, nor did the tough competition for a loose forward spot.
''I picked up an ankle injury and the boys in there were performing really well. There was good competition between the loose trio.
''Everyone had to train as well as they played, which was good. I would have loved to have played more but they select the team which they think is best for the team.''
A rigorous pre-season saw him lose 4kg- hovering around the 100kg mark - and he admitted that had had an impact on his game.
''It stripped all the comfort food away from me . . . you can get around the field a bit better but you feel the hits more.
"When you haven't got that weight on, you have to change your game a bit and use your footwork.''
He hoped to put on some weight in the off-season, saying the condensed nature of the ITM Cup meant it was too hard to get into the gym.
Ioane, who has been carrying a hand injury for the past few weeks, said with video analysis he was trying to adapt his game more, looking for offloads and putting players into space.
His high-impact game had turned him into something of an impact player off the bench.
''It has not been going too bad. It has been a bit of a mixed bag - off the bench, then get a couple of starts.
"When you come off the bench you look to add a bit of energy and give the boys a bit of spark to keep them going for the next 20-odd minutes.''
