EA didn’t show up at this year’s E3, but that didn’t stop the company from holding its own event. EA Play Live was essentially an E3-style press conference packed with news about EA’s biggest titles. Much of the show was predictable. We knew we’d see Apex Legends‘ newest hero, and news about Battlefield 2042‘s new Portal mode leaked hours before the show. Plus, EA prepped us for what wouldn’t appear during the showcase, including Skate 4.
There were a few surprises, though. Grid Legends is a brand new racing game from Codemasters featuring a deep story mode, and Dead Space is coming back with a new game. Here’s every announcement from EA’s big summer stream.
Dead Space revival is real
As previously rumored, a new Dead Space game is coming. The new game is currently just titled Dead Space, and we didn’t see much of it at all. A tiny teaser trailer confirmed that the game exists, but that’s about it. No release date was given, but a press release from EA revealed more details about the game. It’s a remake of the original Dead Space game and it’s being developed exclusively for next-gen consoles. It’ll launch on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Battlefield Portal is a deep creative tool
EA gave another close look at Battlefield 2042, revealing an exciting new facet of the multiplayer shooter. Battlefield Portal is a massive customization tool that allows players to create custom games. The web-based tool is free to anyone with an EA account, even if they don’t own the game. The tool goes beyond normal custom rule settings in games, giving players the freedom to make hyper-specific decisions.
More exciting, the mode is bringing classic Battlefield games into 2042. The Portal features assets from classic games like Battlefield 1942, including weapons and vehicles. As part of that, Ripple Effect is bringing six classic Battlefield maps to the game. Players are able to set up 128-player matches on old maps, which have been tweaked for 2042.
Apex Legends new character detailed
We got some new details on Apex Legends‘ next season, Emergence. The season got a cinematic story trailer, as Respawn Entertainment usually puts out alongside new seasons. The segment gave a closer look at the season’s new hero, Seer. His specialty is enemy tracking, like Bloodhound. Seer has a heartbeat sensor, and he can send out drones to find enemies. His ultimate ability sends out hundreds of drones to create a sphere that tracks enemies that move through it. Respawn describes the character as “stealth-oriented.” Another trailer for Emergence is coming on July 26.
Respawn also announced that year two of the ALGS, Apex Legends‘ esports league, starts in September. PlayStation and Xbox players will be able to compete against PC players this time around.
Grid Legends adds story to racing
Racing game developer Codemasters got a major spotlight to start the show. A reel of the studio’s franchises was shown before announcing its latest project: Grid Legends. The newest entry in the Grid series has a major focus on storytelling with developed characters and an underdog narrative. The game will feature locations like Moscow and London. Grid Legends is coming sometime in 2022.
Everything else
- EA showed a new trailer for the indie game Lost in Random, which comes out on September 10.
- Two new “heroes” were revealed for FIFA 22.
- Knockout City‘s second season is called Night at the Movies. It starts on July 27 and includes new maps and a soda ball.
