Electronic Arts has a portfolio of projects on the way for the PS5 and Xbox Series X | S. We go over everything we know and what to expect.
The start of generation for Electronic Arts has been especially short. Contrary to what was seen with PS4 and Xbox One, this 2020 we have not had that great delivery that will show the technical leap in hardware. 7 years ago, titles like Battlefield 4 were a glimpse of what was to come in the future. However, its sports offer has been the only thing that has come focused on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. We are talking about FIFA 21 and Madden 21.
Its portfolio of projects has already named several of the works that will arrive throughout this cycle, starting this same 2021. We will review what official data has transcended around its main brands, leaving aside the annual deliveries.
Battlefield, “a scale never seen”: 2021
Among the confirmed projects, the one with which the most information has emerged came from Sweden. DICE is immersed in the development of the next Battlefield installment. The team got rid of two of its last jobs this year. On the one hand, Star Wars Battlefront 2, which with the update of The Battle of Scarif ceased support for new content; on the other, Battlefield V, which did the same this summer. The cards were on the table.
Source: EA Play 2020
During the presentation of the results of the fiscal year in October 2019, Blake Jorgensen, financial manager of Electronic Arts, assured that this new installment of Battlefield would be launched during fiscal year 2022, that is, in a period between April 2021 and March 2022. Words that were reiterated through a representative of the company to VGC, this time last April: “In the long term, the study is focused on the future of Battlefield, which we will bring to players in 2021 “, He said.
With a pandemic spilling into studios across the globe, companies like Square Enix were pessimistic about the effects of COVID-19. Had the Battlefield plan been altered? It seems not. Andrew Wilson, CEO of Electronic Arts, confirmed the November launch window: Battlefield will return in the final stretch of 2021. “The next Battlefield is set to launch in late 2021, and we are excited to share more about the game next spring ”, he commented.
Source: EA Play 2020
Wilson himself pointed out that the testing of the game is underway internally, while the team “has begun to receive very positive feedback” as they have been introduced to the community. In terms of focus, he explained that DICE is creating “the game with the largest scale ever.” PS5 and Xbox Series have played an important role in the development, since it has allowed them to work with “a remarkable vision”. The images that accompany these paragraphs are the only proof at this time of its new generation.
BioWare, return to its success: Mass Effect and Dragon Age
The pothole that Anthem caused seems to be far away. While the game service continues in the process of rebuilding, BioWare has consolidated two of the pillars that will mark its presence in the generation of PS5 and Xbox Series X | S. The new installment of Dragon Age has not had an easy road, precisely. We knew of his first public appearance during the celebration of The Game Awards 2018. A teaser of just 1 minute was enough to know that the saga was back.
Source: The Game Awards 2020
Not everything was on his side. Almost a year later, Electronic Arts did not see its launch close. “You have to assume that Dragon Age will possibly come out after fiscal year 22,” Jorgensen narrated in the same financial result in October 2019. That is, we were placed somewhere after March 2022. The development has had to overcome several difficulties. In April 2019, Kotaku reported that the studio restarted the project in 2017 after five years of comings and goings. In that same summer 2 years ago, his producer decided to leave the team. A month later, Casey Hudson, then general manager of BioWare, left to update the status of the game, still in pre-production.
Silence reigned until EA Play 2020, where we could see various scenarios of the game running on next-generation hardware. Mark Darrah, executive producer of the new Dragon Age, sent a message to fans via Twitter: he followed the work from home. Work that was reflected in another teaser, this time during the recent The Game Awards 2020. Material shown a few days after announcing the departure of Darrah and Casey Hudson, two of the veteran figures of the direction.
Source: The Game Awards 2020
And the fact is that the event presented by Geoff Keighley was taken by the studio as a showcase, as if it were a wake-up call to the industry. As alive is Dragon Age as Mass Effect, of which we have already seen its next chapter. Although the studio acknowledges that it is “in the early stages” of development (in the hands of a veteran team), the teaser makes its intentions clear. Liara’s aging profile shoots straight into the hearts of her followers. Will it be a direct sequel to the trilogy? No data has been disclosed, but everything seems to indicate that he will leave behind the time travel seen in Andromeda.
Ongoing: Criterion’s Neef for Speed, new Skate, remasters, EA Originals label …
The next Need for Speed has taken over in the direction. Ghost Games, reorganized as a support studio this February, makes way for Criterion Games as the brand’s new leader. It is not the first time that the British have seen themselves in this position. Hot Pursuit and Most Wanted (2012) left their mark on the asphalt. In fact, the reboot was the last video game they spearheaded. Since then they have served as support for other Electronic Arts products, such as Star Wars: Battlefront 2 and Battlefield V. No information is known about the new installment. Nor do we know anything about the new installment of the Skate saga, beyond its confirmation.
Source: EA Play 2020
Electronic Arts continues to bet on remastering several of its intellectual properties. We know that in spring 2021 we will receive Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, which will update the Commander Shepard trilogy. It will do so on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One and PC, and will include all the additional content from all three games. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit was also in the same situation recently, so the trend seems clear.
EA Originals continues to bet on quality indie games. The next game under his mantle will be It Takes Two, the new production from Hazelight, the Josef Fares studio. It will arrive on March 26, 2021 and will maintain the force of cooperative play. You can see their first gameplay trailer at this link.
