For the fourth straight year, EA is forgoing E3 for its fan-focused EA Play event. EA Play takes place June 8-9, just prior to the start of the E3 festivities. EA is doing things a bit differently this year, though. Rather than have a traditional press conference, EA will air multiple livestreams on June 8. EA will focus on games both already released (like Apex Legends), and exciting upcoming titles like Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order. You’ll want to tune in for the EA Play livestreams and stick with Digital Trends for all of the EA content you need throughout E3 week. Here’s how to watch the EA Play livestreams and what we expect to see.
How to watch the EA Play livestreams at E3 2019
EA Play’s multiple livestreams will air on June 8, but a specific time for each has not been set. You will be able to watch the livestreams on EA’s website or YouTube. EA said it made this change because of fan feedback, and we can expect these livestreams to be more gameplay-focused than EA’s traditional press conferences of past years. Once the full schedule is revealed, we’ll update this article to help you decide which streams you want to tune in for.
What to expect at EA Play
While we don’t know the exact number of livestreams, we do know some of the titles EA is planning to show. That includes a certain game set in a galaxy far, far away.
Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order
Respawn’s Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order is the biggest game confirmed to be on display at EA Play. In April, we saw the reveal trailer for the single player adventure title set after the events of Revenge of the Sith. Jedi Fallen Order stars Shameless actor Cameron Monaghan as Padawan Cal Kestis. Cal is one of the only living Jedi following Order 66. Jedi Fallen Order is set to launch November 15 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. It will surely be a huge point of emphasis throughout EA Play.
FIFA 20
FIFA 19The latest entry in EA’s annual soccer sim doesn’t yet have a release date, and EA hasn’t unveiled any new features or game modes. In fact, it hasn’t been shown at all. But FIFA 20 will be on hand at EA Play ahead of its expected September launch.
Madden NFL 20
When Madden NFL 20 launches this August, football fans will get to relive the glory days of NCAA Football in the new Face of the Franchise: QB1 career mode. It’s not a full-fledged NCAA Football mode, but ten college teams will be available to choose from. Your job is to create a quarterback, play through a season, get drafted, and then work your way towards being an NFL starter. The career mode replaces Longshot, the story mode of the past two entries. We also know Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes III is the cover athlete. Madden NFL 20 will be shown at EA Play, and we expect to see a deeper look at the new career mode.
Apex Legends
Pulling double duty at E3, Respawn Entertainment’s excellent battle royale game Apex Legends will be featured at EA Play. While we don’t necessarily know what to expect, we imagine EA will take this opportunity to detail what’s in store for Apex Legends in future updates. In its most recent financial earnings report, EA stated it would continue “to grow Apex Legends and related Titanfall experiences.” What that Titanfall reference means, if anything, for EA Play, remains to be seen.
Anthem
Anthem had a rough launch, and those struggles have continued for BioWare’s ambitious but ultimately underwhelming live service action game. In April, BioWare and EA announced an indefinite delay for future content updates on the road map. We expect EA to try to get back in the good graces of fans at the event and bring more players into the Anthem fold. Anthem will be there, but whether or not it can impress lapsed fans enough to restore interest remains to be seen.
Battlefield V
EA is still plugging away at its 2018 first-person shooter Battlefield V. The battle royale mode, Firestorm, launched earlier this year. Battlefield V‘s fourth chapter “Defying the Odds” is slated to rollout in June, with new maps and modes being added. We expect EA to discuss the new content updates, and give us a glimpse of what’s to come in the currently unveiled fifth chapter, set to launch this fall.
The Sims 4
So far in 2019, EA has added Lunar New Year content and a freelancer career option to The Sims 4. The life simulation game is always featured at E3, and 2019 will be no different. We imagine EA will unveil a new expansion to join the many others.
New Need for Speed
Need for Speed PaybackThe February 2019 earnings report also revealed that a new Need for Speed game will launch in 2019. Need for Speed Payback underwhelmed at launch in 2017, and the long-running franchise has frequently been a mixed bag. Here’s to hoping that EA gets the series back on the track with the next entry.
New Plants vs. Zombies
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2A new Plants vs. Zombies game is also in the works at EA. Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 launched in 2016 and was a huge improvement on the original. Garden Warfare 3 seems to be the most likely announcement, but don’t discount a possible third entry in the original franchise. Plants vs. Zombies 2 launched way back in 2013, so it would be cool to see a brand new entry in the series that led to Garden Warfare in the first place.
What we want to see at EA Play
While we expect all of the above games will be featured at EA Play, there are a handful of EA titles and franchises we hope will be discussed. These range from already announced games to extremely unlikely sequels that we’d like to wish into existence. Before we begin, we must note that Titanfall 3 is definitely on our wishlist. However, it’s not on the following list because Respawn has flat out said it’s not in development.
Dragon Age: The Dread Wolf Rises
The most likely game on this list to be shown by a mile, BioWare teased the Dragon Age: The Dread Wolf Rises at The Game Awards last December. We haven’t heard a peep since, but we’d love to see some actual gameplay at EA Play. The sequel to Inquisition has been in development for a couple of years, though it’s unclear when we can expect it. A 2019 release seems unlikely, but we’re hopeful we’ll learn more at E3.
Skate 4
Skate 3Skate 3 launched way back in 2010, and fans of the excellent skateboarding franchise have been begging EA to make a fourth entry ever since. Sadly, it’s never happened and seems like it never will. But EA absolutely should make Skate 4. That’s why it’s on this list. Make Skate 4, EA. Please.
New Burnout
Burnout Paradise RemasteredA new Burnout game falls into the same category as Skate 4. EA hasn’t made a Burnout racing game for home consoles since 2008’s Burnout Paradise. But there is more hope with this one, as Burnout Paradise was remastered for current generation systems in 2018. Perhaps the remaster stirred enough interest to get EA to pull the trigger on a new entry in the over-the-top arcade racing series.
Dead Space reboot
Dead SpaceDead Space series developer Visceral Games is no more, but that doesn’t mean EA should be done with the awesome survival horror franchise. The original Dead Space wowed us in 2008, and the sequel did the same three years later. The third entry turned the series into more of an action-fest, sadly, but there’s still a lot of Dead Space material to mine. Rather than continue on with “Dead Space 4,” we’d like to see a full reboot.