EA Play 2021 News Roundup
Video game developers don’t come much bigger than Electronic Arts, so it’s always worth tuning in when they have a showcase. We certainly did when they aired their latest one a few days ago. If you didn’t, you’ve come to the right place to find out what you missed out on. EA has outlined the year ahead in terms of new content and new releases, and all of it is very exciting.
EA dedicated much of the event’s running time to the latest versions of the company’s various sporting franchises. We won’t cover them here because all the news about FIFA 22 and the latest Formula 1 and NFL games has been extensively reported elsewhere. Instead, we’ll focus on the standalone releases and continuations of the company’s various other franchises. Here’s what you’ve got to look forward to.
Apex Legends: Emergence
This long-running battle royale game remains as popular as ever, and at EA Play 2021, we got our first look at the forthcoming tenth season, entitled “Emergence.” It promises to be the best yet. After seeing brief clips of the new central character “Seer” in a previous short trailer, we got an extended look at the new hero and a few interactions between Seer and Mirage, who’s sporting a younger look this time around. As expected, the new season will include new maps and new arenas, but it looks like there have also been changes made to the tracker, which should help players who favour stealth over brute force. Work on the new season is already complete, and it’s set to go live on August 3rd. If you haven’t logged in and played for a while, this might be a good time to sharpen up your skills inside the current version before the next one drops.
Battlefield 2042: Portal
This is a seachange for the popular “Battlefield” series, and it’s sent the gaming press into overdrive. “Portal” isn’t so much a new game as a new mode for the existing “Battlefield 2042” game – and it’s a mode that puts you in the shoes of the game’s developer. In essence, this update will let you create your own game modes and then share them with your friends. EA will include content from every previous game in the “Battlefield” series for you to play with and splice together, which should result in some fantastic and innovative content. It stops just short of allowing you to physically edit any of the game’s existing maps, but that was probably a bridge too far in terms of complexity. If you’ve ever played a “Battlefield” game and thought you could have executed it better, now’s your chance to prove it.
Dead Space
This might have been the most exciting reveal of them all. After an absence of eight years, EA has resurrected the space-bound zombie-horror game “Dead Space” because of popular demand. At the risk of hyping it up too much, this remake and adaptation of the first “Dead Space” might be the video game event of the year when the game is released in 2022. “Resident Evil” never had anything on “Dead Space” when it comes to legitimate scares, and we can barely imagine how much more shocking those scares will be when they come with the power of next-gen hardware behind them. EA is keeping its cards close to its chest as far as details go, but the development of “Dead Space” is something we’ll be watching closely.
Grid Legends
Since purchasing Codemasters, Electronic Arts has wasted no time in putting its team to work. The latest official F1 game enjoyed very positive reviews upon release, but “Grid Legends” is a different type of racing game altogether. It’s a classic from the Codemasters back catalogue, brought out of the archives and dressed up for the new generation of consoles. The gist of the game is that if it’s got four wheels, you can race it. Go wheel to wheel in touring cars if you like, but try truck racing instead if regular cars aren’t enough for you. Dozens of real-life racing drivers will appear in the game, and a brand-new story mode (a first for the series) has also been included. Expect to see this one at some point in early 2022.
Knockout City: Season 2
“Knockout City” was a surprise hit for Electronic Arts. Little attention was paid to its release by the gaming press, but it became a smash hit with players and is wildly popular online with its over-the-top dodgeball antics. The success of the game convinced EA to make a sequel, and so it’s getting an official second season at the beginning of August. That’s only a few days away! The new season has a movie theme, so look out for Easter eggs and nods to some of your favourite films in the background scenery. New balls with special powers will be introduced for the new season, along with big changes to “League Play” mode and a visual overhaul.
Lost In Random
If you love Tim Burton movies, you’ll love this. You’ll also probably love it if you enjoy playing “Pokemon” games. “Lost in Random” is a quirky creation – it features Burton-style visuals and comes with a fantasy theme, but it also uses a card-based battle system when you come face to face with enemies. The player-controlled character Odd (that’s her name, not our description of her) might look cute, but she’s anything but cute when she’s got an enormous hammer in her hands, and she’s laying into her opponents with it. Although this hasn’t been confirmed yet, we expect “Lost in Random” to be a budget title. The version of the game that’s released for the PlayStation and Xbox will be the same as the version that’s released for the Nintendo Switch, which heavily implies that this isn’t a triple-A title.
Just as important as all the game announcements is an apparent change of philosophy from EA when it comes to microtransactions, loot boxes, and similar features. EA has long drawn criticism for its inclusion of loot boxes in games like FIFA, with critics citing their similarity to online slots. Loot boxes come in games that have already cost the player fifty dollars or more. EA has confirmed there won’t be any microtransactions in “Dead Space,” so hopefully, this is the beginning of a new era for them.
For all the latest news on these games as they get closer to their release dates, stay tuned to this website!
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