With the return of E3 this year, the gaming industry took one step closer to normalcy in light of the ongoing COVID pandemic. While E3 itself moved to an all digital format, fans were still able to tune in to various showcases from the usual companies like Square Enix, Ubisoft, Microsoft, Nintendo, and more. However, one major difference this year was the lack of Electronic Arts, who instead opted to hold its own EA Play showcase later in the summer.
Announced earlier in May, EA confirmed that its typical June showcase alongside E3 is instead scheduled for July 22 away from all of the announcements and reveals. While EA has already revealed some titles that will be at the show, such as the recently revealed shooter Battlefield 2042, speculation has continued to grip the community with recent rumors heavily pointing to a Dead Space revival. Without spoiling too much, EA is adding another layer of intrigue to its presentation this month by announcing four additional events preceding the main show later this month.
Announced as the Spotlight Series, EA is planning dedication sessions each week leading up to the main EA Play show on July 22. Each session will essentially be a themed panel, focusing on a particular game type or subject matter with members of a studio on hand to talk about the development process as well as other industry stories. Better yet, these sessions are not replacing any announcements at the 40 minute main show, simply supplementing them with new information and reveals.
Things kick off in full on July 8 at 10am PT with a session known as The Future of FPS which specifically highlights Battlefield 2042 and Apex Legends. According to EA, Stella Chung will be hosting the event with DICE’s General Manager Oskar Gabrielson, DICE LA’s General Manager Christian Grass, Respawn’s Founder and Group GM Vince Zampella, and Apex Legends Game Director Chad Grenier.
A few days later on July 13, the next spotlight session known as EA Originals <3 Independent Studios is set to take place. This panel brings together Josef Fares of Hazelight, Olov Redmalm of Zoink, Mel Philips and Abubarker Salim of Silver Rain, and Guha Bala of Velan, with host Todd Martens of the Los Angeles Times.
The panel on July 19 is dedicated to Madden NFL 22, specifically taking a look at how the community is shaping this year's game and improved gameplay features like Franchise Mode, the scenario engine, and Staff Management. On hand for this panel is EA Sports' Seann Graddy, Tom Lischke, and Andre Weingarten alongside host Nick Mizesko, who has served as the longtime play-by-play announcer for the Madden Championship Series.
Finally, one last panel was also revealed though it remains the most mysterious out of the bunch. On July 20, two days before the main show, EA is hosting the More EA SPORTS! spotlight session, though the company isn't saying much about what it is showcasing. All it is willing to say is that this spotlight will highlight "an extremely cool new addition to an extremely popular and long-running EA SPORTS franchise." Naturally, many have assumed this spot will be dedicated to the upcoming SKATE 4, a game which has flown very far under the radar with new studio, Full Circle.
Source: EA