The EA Play Live annual presentation will return this July, surprisingly distancing itself from June's E3 2021. No formal plans have yet been confirmed for EA Play, but it'll likely be a digital event like almost every other event this year, most likely showcase new titles like Battlefield 6 and, with luck, more of the next Dragon Age, as well.
2020's EA Play was relatively lowkey, with a few teases for the future and one big bombshell announcement that EA is finally publishing a new Skate game. The news came as a shock after fans had begged for nearly a decade for a new entry in the beloved sports franchise. Although it's still reportedly early in development, fans can rest easy knowing more info is likely coming soon. However - while EA Play will likely bring a more exciting show this year than last - they would be wise to not expect Skate 4 anytime soon.
EA will likely be ready to show the titles it has been teasing for some time at July's newly announced EA Play. EA confirms the show will be held on July 22, 2021, but no further details have been offered about the event yet. EA Play is typically held during the week of E3, but the fast-growing return of E3 in 2021 has potential to absorb almost all of the attention this time around. EA's presentation typically ran in conjunction with E3 and in the same general area of LA, allowing press to be in one centralized spot. Given that E3 2021 is also a digital event, it appears EA has no incentive to hold its own event at the same time. Interestingly, prominent leaker Tom Henderson also noted there may be a playable build of Battlefield 6 available on the day of EA Play 2021, but that's so far unconfirmed.
Whether or not EA plans to make EA Play more interactive, given the lack of a physical E3 2021 event, remains to be seen. There have been plenty of rumblings about trying to figure out how to implement show floor demoes into the digital events. Things like early access alphas and beta tests are a great way to let fans take a crack at whatever reveals and trailers debut during the show, and the next Battlefield is rumored to be arriving by Holiday 2021.
As such, EA Play will likely have a heavy focus on Battlefield 6 after its teased June reveal, as it's EA's biggest known release on the horizon and very little has been revealed about the shooter's latest entry after the relative failure of Battlefield V. EA tends to have large-scale gameplay demos for the campaign and multiplayer portions of Battlefield titles at these shows, so it wouldn't be a surprise if there's an abundance of content and information for the next iteration at EA Play in July.
Source: EA, Tom Henderson