Anticipation is growing for this year's EA Play Live, which will provide news regarding upcoming titles and in-progress projects from EA. The showcase comes over a month after 2021's E3 Expo, and many may be wondering which games are or aren't likely to make an appearance.
EA skipped out on this year's E3 Expo once again to instead focus on its own event. EA Play Live is scheduled for July 22, over a month after E3, and seems to indicate a growing trend of game publishers favoring independent presentations over attending the E3 conference. The all-digital nature of E3 this year was a hurdle that many struggled to adjust to, and in the eyes of some it's led the Expo closer to obsolescence.
The decision for EA to run its own showcase has led many to hope that extensive focus will be given on upcoming projects and new releases. A few highly anticipated EA titles have already been confirmed to be appearing during EA Play Live, such as Battlefield 2042, which announced a release date ahead of E3 2021 and got a gameplay reveal during Xbox's press conference. What other EA titles are likely - or unlikely - to receive attention this year?
Most Likely To Appear At EA Play Live - Dragon Age 4 & Skate 4
BioWare's Dragon Age 4 has been in the works for years, and since something of a reboot in 2018, trailers have gradually updated fans about the game's progress. Thus far, development seems to have been slow-moving, and the lack of gameplay included in Dragon Age 4's trailers has left many concerned about its status. Given that BioWare's remastered version of the Mass Effect trilogy has now been released, it seems likely that Dragon Age 4 may receive some renewed focus from the studio, perhaps leading to attention at EA Play Live - even if a release date might be too much to ask for. Many are also hoping for an official release date for Skate 4, announced during 2020's EA Play Live. If nothing else, it seems probable that additional trailers or gameplay will finally be revealed.
Least Likely To Appear At EA Play - Mass Effect 4 & The Sims 4
Mass Effect 4 received a teaser trailer back in December 2020 during The Game Awards, and since then, not much has been heard from BioWare about the project. Focus was more than likely put toward the release of Mass Effect Legendary Edition, which came out in May of this year. Given the bare-bones glimpse players have been given at Mass Effect 4 thus far, coupled with the fact that Dragon Age 4 is presumably much further along in development, it seems unlikely that Mass Effect 4 will be have much to show for itself during 2021's EA Play Live. The Sims 4, on the other hand, will be experiencing almost the opposite problem. The latest Sims 4 expansion pack, Cottage Living, was revealed this month and is scheduled to come out on the same day as EA Play Live. Because of this, it's doubtful that EA is planning to reveal any new Sims content.