As the first conference of E3 2018, EA certainly had some pressure to show up and show out this year, but did they deliver? News about Bioware’s new game Anthem, and the next installment of the storied Battlefield franchise, titled Battlefield V, led the charge as one of gaming’s biggest and most recognized publishers took the stage. Below, we’ve compiled a list of announcements.
- Anthem gets a new trailer and a release date. And hey! No loot boxes. It seems that EA has paid attention after the Battlefront 2 fiasco. Anthem will be released February 22, 2019, for the Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
- Battlefield V also gets a new trailer, along with the announcement that it will have a Battle Royale mode. While a seemingly odd inclusion to announce, it makes more sense when you consider Fortnite has been raking in millions. Those are the kinds of numbers that makes the EA’s and the Activision’s take notice. With Battlefield’s rabid fan base, and EA’s resources, there is the potential here to take this trend to the next level when Battlefield V is released October 19.
- Command & Conquer: Rivals, the newest installment in the decades-old real-time strategy series, is coming to mobile devices. It will be free-to-play, which has elicited a lukewarm response from fans, but EA Redwood Studios, the developer, promises a solid mobile strategy experience. There is no announced release date so far.
- A new tier of EA’s Origin Access subscription has been announced, dubbed Origin Access Premier. This is more than just random words thrown together, though you’d be forgiven for thinking so. The base subscription, available now, allows PC gamers access to over 90 titles through EA’s Origin platform, for $30 per year. The new Premier tier bumps up the price to $100 per year, and allows for access to even more games, including Anthem, Madden NFL 19, and FIFA 19.
- Speaking of, FIFA 19 gets a release date, and now boasts the Champions League license, a license that has been exclusive to Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) series for the past decade. FIFA 19 will be released on September 28 for Xbox One, PS4, PC, Switch, and even Xbox 360 and PS3. Remember those?
- Madden NFL 19 is coming to PC. Why is this news? Because the last game in the Madden series to come to PC was Madden 08, so PC gamers have had quite the wait to return to the gridiron. The wait is over August 10, when Madden NFL 19 launches on PC, Xbox One, and PS4, although people who pre-order the Hall of Fame edition get to play three days early.
- Let’s keep the ball rolling with NBA Live 19, which received a new trailer and a release date. Though last year’s installment was met with a resounding ‘meh’, EA is still vying for the basketball sim crown against 2K Sports and Visual Concept’s NBA 2K series. The ball hits the court September 7, on Xbox One and PS4.
- Star Wars Battlefront 2, the subject of much controversy last year regarding the loot box system, is still being shown some love by DICE and EA, in the form of new DLC. Along with the recently released DLC based on Solo, the newest movie in the Star Wars franchise, EA announced that Clone Wars DLC is forthcoming, which includes new levels and multiple new Heroes. While the Solo DLC was released earlier this week, there is no word yet on the release schedule of the Clone Wars content.
- Perhaps more exciting is the announcement of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, a title in development by Respawn Entertainment, the developer responsible for the tense and exciting Titanfall Not much is known about the title, beside the fact that players will assume the role of a Padawan, a Jedi apprentice, during one of the darkest periods in the history of the series. The idea has potential, but we’ll have to wait until its release to pass judgement. Be ready to save the galaxy this holiday season.
- Unravel Two rounds out this EA summary, and is the follow-up to 2016’s charming platformer Unravel, from Coldwood Interactive. Thanks to the mostly warm reception that the original game received, mainly due to its creative yarn mechanics and inviting art style, it stands to reason that EA would have pushed for a sequel. What nobody expected was for EA to announce and showcase the game, and subsequently release the title later that same day! Grab a friend and embark on a yarn-filled adventure in Unravel Two, out now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.