EA Play 2021 has arrived, with a range of games on display. We know for sure that we’ll see Apex Legends and Battlefield 2042 at the conference, but fans are hoping for even more surprise reveals along the way. To keep track of all the announcements and news, we’ve got an EA Play 2021 roundup that’ll discuss all announcements at the show.
How to Watch EA Play 2021
The EA Play 2021 livestream will take place at 10 AM PT. You can catch the stream live or after it airs in the video below.
If you keep reading, you’ll find a full EA Play 2021 roundup.
EA Play 2021 Live Blog
It’s time to see what EA have up their sleeve for the rest of the year, with today’s exciting conference. Sit back and relax as we take you through all the big announcements in real-time, as the news breaks!
The Sims 4 Cottage Living Expansion
The very first thing we see at EA Play is a reveal trailer for The Sims 4‘s latest expansion, featuring the music artist Japanese Cottage. It’s called Cottage Living, and as you’d expect, lets you build a small, cosy home of your own. There’s even cows in this expansion, as the trailer comedically shows off.
Codemasters and GRID Legends
First up is a talk with Codemasters’ Senior Designer, Becky Crossdale. She shows off a trailer for GRID Legends. The legendary racing series is back, with colorful courses to race on, as well as a story mode to boot. There’s three drivers vying for the title, and you’ll get to race across a range of cars in high-octane races. There’s an exclusive in-game Aston Martin, as well as multi-class races, where different types of cars will go up against one another. Crash physics look pretty impressive, and with such stunning graphics, we could have a Forza contender on our hands. The game is set to release in 2022.
Apex Legends: Emergence
Next up is the much-anticipated Apex Legends conference. There’s a trailer for Apex Legends: Emergence, the new expansion coming to the battle Royale game. It shows off a fiery lava planet, icy tundras, and a range of new Legends that’ll arrive in the game. It even looks like some of the classic Legends will be making way for the new Legends teased in this trailer, as we see their brutal deaths at the hands of our main character. The primary action set piece is a battle taking place during an avalanche, which could hint at dynamic events coming to the game soon. That’s not confirmed – but we do know that there’s a load more coming to Apex Legends soon.
There’s then a chat with Chad Grenier, who works on the game. He details the new Legend, Seer, who is the focus of the trailer. He has a radar-like ability to track enemies around him, giving him a real tactical edge. It won’t ruin the game’s balance though, as when Seer is using his special ability, other players will be able to track his footsteps.
Grenier also confirms that a ranked version of Arena mode will arrive in the Emergence expansion, adding a further competitive edge to the game. The conversation ends by announcing that our first look at Emergence gameplay will arrive on July 26th.
Lost in Random trailer
Next up is a new preview at the stop-motion game Lost in Random. We see a chat with Olov Redmalm, Creative Director at Zoink. They discuss the game’s inclusion at Tribeca Film Festival, as well as a look at Dice Battle, a new game mode. In this mode, a roll of the living-and-breathing Dicey lets you take a hit at the various enemies in the game by freezing time. It’s a pretty intuitive way to add turn-based aesthetics to a game of this sort. That, combined with a gorgeous visual style – and some terrifying enemies – certainly make this one to look out for. There’s also a confirmed release date of September 10, 2021 for consoles and PC – and you can pre-order once the conference ends.
Knockout City
Next is an update on the breakout hit of the summer, Knockout City. Karthik Bala, CEO of Velan Studios, tells us about all the new features coming to the game soon. We get the first look at season 2, called Fight at the Movies. There’s a King Kong-style parody, and a look at a new pyramid-based map. We’ve also got everything like new skins, dynamic in-game events, and new types of ball. Most excitingly is a map based on a child’s bedroom – like Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, with dodgeballs instead. The new map, gear, dodgeball and playlists arrive on July 27th.
Battlefield 2042
Arguably the most hyped element of the conference is the new announcements for Battlefield 2042. We’ve known about the game for a while now, but EA teased some brand-new information going into this conference – and they didn’t disappoint. Oskar Gabrielson, General Manager at DICE, delved deep into the new stuff. He tells us about the three ‘experiences’ within the game – and the latest one is called Battlefield Portal.
In this new mode, there’s a heavy focus on community feedback and creativity. You’ll be able to tweak already-existing maps, complete with the obstacles, vehicles and weapons of your choice. It combines assets from plenty of Battlefield games of the past, like 1942, Bad Company 2, and Battlefield 3, making it a real treat for long-term fans of the franchise. You can also play on other people’s maps, which will add a huge amount of reployability to the game. Where else could you get defibrillators alongside WWI trench warfare?
And of course, the trailer shows off the classic Battlefield moments we all love, like exploding Jeeps. It’ll launch with Battlefield 2042 later this year, and will definitely add to the game’s value.
Dead Space
Yes, after all the rumors, it’s official! EA are releasing a remade version of the classic 2007 horror game Dead Space – and from this trailer, it looks absolutely horrifying. We get to see the old protagonist Isaac back once again, and a hint at the grisly necromorph in a dark alley, but we don’t see much else. No release date yet, but it’ll be a next-gen and PC exclusive – meaning it should look absolutely stunning.
What did you think of the EA Play July 2021? What was your favorite announcement? Be sure to let us know on Twitter!
