At EA Play Live, the game publisher spent around an hour detailing the future of some of its biggest franchises. And while much of the news was to be expected, a few surprises snuck in — including an all-too-brief tease of a return to a horror favorite. If you missed the show, here are the most notable things EA revealed.
Dead Space is getting a next-gen remake
The best was saved for last, with a quick tease of a full-on remake of the original Dead Space, which promises to update the survival horror classic for modern hardware. There isn’t much to go on just yet — it doesn’t even have a release date — but the new version of Dead Space will launch on the PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.
Battlefield 2042 is getting a creative mode of sorts
One of the bigger surprises was the reveal of Battlefield Portal, a mode for Battlefield 2042 that’s built around user-generated content. The mode will feature all seven maps from the base 2042 game, along with six maps from classic Battlefield titles, which can then be remixed by customizing modes, settings, along with weapons, soldiers, and other content pulled from multiple era-spanning Battlefield games: 2042, 1942, Bad Company 2, and BF3. There’s even a logic editor (though EA says you won’t be able to edit the maps), and user creations can then be uploaded so others can play them, too. Portal will launch alongside 2042 on October 22nd.
A beautiful new Apex Legends cinematic
Developer Respawn previously teased the next Apex Legends character, Seer, but now we have a really good look at him, thanks to this gorgeous cinematic that has me pining for an Apex animated movie. You’ll be able to learn more about how he actually plays when the first gameplay trailer drops on July 26th. Seer will be part of the game’s next major update, called Emergence, which will launch on August 3rd. And for esports fans, the second season of the Apex Legends Pro League is slated to start in September, with a prize pool of $5 million.
Knockout City is getting a new season
Multiplayer dodgeball game Knockout City is getting a big update, when a film-inspired second season called “Fight at the Movies” kicks off on July 27th. Most notably, the update will add a new map that takes place across what looks like a wide range of faux-Hollywood sets, and which the developer describes as “ever-changing movie-inspired arenas.”
Grid Legends brings story to racing
Codemasters is now under the EA umbrella, and the studio’s next release looks to merge movie-style storytelling with realistic racing. Grid Legends features a story mode complete with real actors — including Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa — and cinematics that were filmed in XR, much like The Mandalorian, to tell what looks like a classic sports underdog story. Players will also be able to create custom races that mix and match vehicle types; so you can have an open-wheeled racecar going up against a truck if you want. The game is slated to launch in 2022.
https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/22/22586899/ea-play-live-2021-trailers-news-battlefield-dead-space-apex-legends