Every year, Electronic Arts hosts its EA Play event, an E3-equivalent that usually takes place during E3 week. This year, EA is doing things a little bit differently, pushing its EA Play event back by an entire month, with it now scheduled to take place on July 22 at 10am PT. But just because it's not taking place during E3 doesn't mean the EA Play event won't still have plenty of big announcements in store for fans.
In fact, this year's EA Play event is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent memory. Thanks to some unverified leaks, it seems as though EA Play is going to have an especially impressive lineup this year, and so fans should definitely make it a point to tune in come July 22, just in case there's any truth to rumors.
Here are the games rumored for EA Play so far. Fans should take all of this information with a grain of salt for now and wait for official announcements from EA before they get too excited about what will be at the show.
Battlefield 2042
EA has not confirmed its EA Play 2021 lineup just yet, but one game that is virtually guaranteed to be making an appearance at the event is Battlefield 2042. The latest entry in the long-running first-person shooter series, Battlefield 2042 is a multiplayer-only game that is looking to take full advantage of next-generation consoles. While it's technically playable on legacy platforms, Battlefield 2042 on PS5 and Xbox Series X will be the definitive experience, offering 128 player battles against human-controlled opponents and AI bots alike.
Battlefield 2042's use of bots is interesting as it allows someone to essentially play the game solo, even with the lack of a single-player campaign. It's also turning heads for the sheer size of its maps and the natural disasters that can completely destroy buildings. And while Battlefield 2042 won't have a battle royale mode like many other popular shooter games of today, the developers have teased that there's a "special" game mode of some kind in store for fans.
Maybe Battlefield 2042's secret game mode will be revealed at the EA Play event. Or maybe fans will find out when the Battlefield 2042 betas are taking place. Since Battlefield 2042 already has a release date, there's not a ton of important information left to be revealed for the game, so it will definitely be interesting to see what DICE and EA have in store come EA Play on July 22.
Dead Space
There once was a time when the Dead Space franchise was a priority for EA. Not only did the company put out three main series Dead Space games as part of the original trilogy, but it also released Dead Space spin-off games, comic books, novels, animated films, and more. Unfortunately, the Dead Space games consistently failed to meet EA's sales expectations, and the franchise was put on ice as a result.
Eight years after the release of Dead Space 3, and it seems as though the sci-fi survival-horror franchise could finally be making a well-deserved comeback. Rumors indicate that EA Motive, the studio behind the well-received Star Wars: Squadrons, is working on an established EA IP. According to the leaks, this established IP is Dead Space, with Motive set to reveal a reimagined version of Dead Space at the EA Play event on July 22.
It's unclear what exactly a "reimagined" Dead Space revival would look like, but if the game exists and isn't a hoax, it will definitely be interesting to find out. Perhaps it will serve as a reboot of the Dead Space storyline, or maybe it will be more in the vein of a remake. Whatever the case may be, Dead Space fans have their fingers crossed for news at EA Play on July 22, so hopefully they aren't let down.
Dragon Age 4
BioWare originally announced Dragon Age 4 at The Game Awards 2018 with a brief teaser trailer that left much up to the imagination. In the years since, BioWare has released some Dragon Age 4 concept art and more brief teasers, but still has yet to offer fans a deep dive into the new game and what exactly it will entail. Three years after its announcement and it seems like it's about time for Dragon Age 4 to get a showcase of some kind, and EA Play on July 22 would provide the perfect opportunity.
As it so happens, there is evidence to suggest that Dragon Age 4 will be at EA Play 2021. Apparently, the PlayStation Store could be adding a Dragon Age 4 Alpha test of some description next month, ahead of EA Play, which definitely seems to suggest that the game will be at the show. Whether or not that actually takes place remains to be seen, but one has to imagine that Dragon Age 4 will have some kind of presence at the event, even if it's in the form of yet another short teaser trailer.
If Dragon Age 4 is at EA Play, though, hopefully it offers fans a substantial look at the game. As it stands, much of it remains shrouded in mystery. Teasers have pointed to Solas the Dread Wolf and red lyrium playing key roles in the plot, but otherwise fans don't really know what to expect when it comes to Dragon Age 4.
EA Sports Games
EA is well-known for its sports video games, particularly the FIFA and Madden NFL series. This year has been a little different when it comes to the EA Sports titles, as EA waited until the last minute to reveal Madden NFL 22 and its cover athletes. However, details about the new FIFA game and Madden NFL 22 have slowly been trickling out lately, so fans should be able to expect both games to have a presence at the EA Play event on July 22.
Other EA Sports games could also make an appearance at EA Play, though they seem far less likely to appear than FIFA and Madden NFL 22. For instance, EA announced a new Skate game at last year's EA Play event, but that had yet to even really start development properly at the time of its announcement, so it's likely years away from release. EA could show off a new NHL game as well, though the NHL games have not had a consistent presence at EA Play over the years.
Another longshot possibility is that EA will unveil its EA Sports College Football game at EA Play. EA Sports College Football is essentially the return of the dormant NCAA Football series, which hasn't seen a new entry since 2013's NCAA Football 14. EA Sports College Football is easily one of the most highly-anticipated sports video games on the horizon, and so EA Sports could generate significant buzz if it were to feature the game.
Other EA Games That Could Be At EA Play
The aforementioned titles are probably the heavy hitters that could potentially be at EA Play, but there are other possibilities as well. While it seems extremely unlikely, there's a chance that BioWare could offer fans a fresh look at the new Mass Effect game, plus it's also possible that the rumored Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order 2 could be at the show as well. Alternatively, EA could use EA Play to focus on new announcements for some of its live service games, particularly the Apex Legends battle royale game.
EA has other Star Wars games in development, other sports games it could possibly reveal, and plenty of indie games that it will be publishing as well. Any of these games could be shown at EA Play on July 22, but the only way that fans can be sure is by tuning in that day at 10am PT.