EA, the publisher behind titles like FIFA 22 and Apex Legends, has confirmed that it won’t be hosting it’s annual summer event showcase, EA Play Live, due to timings not lining up.
Speaking to IGN, an EA representative explained the situation:
“We love EA Play Live as it’s our way of connecting with our players and sharing what’s new with all of you. However, this year things aren’t lining up to show you everything on one date.”
The representative added that EA has “exciting things happening at our world-class studios and this year we’ll reveal much more about these projects when the time is right for each of them. We look forward to spending time with you throughout the year!”
The statement definitely tracks with what has been happening lately. Last week, EA broadcast a Dead Space remake livestream which, while focusing on the sound design, also revealed that the developer EA Motive is planning to launch the title in early 2023.
The summer is often a huge time for games, with E3 leading the charge. Although it’s become a digital event, publishers such as Xbox, EA, Sony, and Nintendo often put on a showcase for their biggest reveals. Last year, EA Play Live took place in late July, but this year it seems like fans will get smaller showcases for specific games instead.
EA Play has actually been a separate event to E3 since 2016, which isn’t to say that the publisher has stopped all involvement with E3 itself, as games from the Battlefield series often show up at other company’s conferences. The “Play Live” idea meant that fans could attend this event separately and play the games themselves, though like E3 itself it shifted to a digital event due to the global pandemic.
There’s a some uncertainty around what’s going on within EA right now, with suggestions that this could be the last year FIFA uses the licence of the same name. CEO Andrew Wilson was reported to say during an internal meeting that FIFA is just “four letters on a box” and that the games are actually being held back by the deal. Talks between EA and FIFA broke down last year over pricing of the licence, as well.
In other news, you can now get legendary Pokémon Arceus and Darkrai in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
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