Skip to main content

EA Play Live showcase: Full schedule of events and what to expect

EA didn’t host a digital conference at E3 this year, instead opting for its own event later on in the summer. That event, EA Play Live, is set to kick off on July 22. However, leading up to the main show, EA will host a series of other events that it’s calling the “Spotlight Series.” Here’s the full schedule of events EA has planned and what you can expect from each.

The Future of First-Person Shooters

The first of EA’s Spotlight Series events is a roundtable on two of the company’s most prevalent shooters: The recently announced Battlefield 2042 and Apex Legends. The Spotlight will feature DICE general manager Oskar Gabrielson, DICE LA general manager Christian Grass, Respawn founder and group general manager Vince Zampella, and Apex game director Chad Grenier. The group will discuss the future first-person shooters as a whole, as well as what players can expect to see at the main show on July 22.

Recommended Videos

The Future of First-Person Shooters spotlight is set to go live at 10 a.m PT on July 8.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

EA <3’s Independent Studios

At 10 a.m PT on July 13, EA is hosting its EA <3’s Independent Studios Spotlight event. It’s a roundtable conversation with Josef Fares of Hazelight (It Takes Two), Oolav Redmalm of Zoink (Lost in Random), Mel Philips and Abubarker Salim of Silver Rain, and Huha Bala of Velan (Knockout City).

Madden NFL 22 All-Access

If it’s not clear from the title of this Spotlight, this stream will be all about the next entry in the Madden franchise, Madden NFL 22. The showcase will include details from the game’s developers about how players and community members influenced its development. Fans will also get a sneak peek at Madden NFL 22‘s new live service feature: Scouting. The panel will feature Seann Graddy, Tom Lischke, and Andre Weingarten of EA Sports.

The Madden NFL 22 All-Access Spotlight is set to start at 4 p.m. PT on July 19. Another EA Sports-centered event will be taking place the next day, at 10 a.m PT on July 20, but EA is keeping the details of that one under wraps for now.

EA Play Live

EA’s main event is set to take place at 10 a.m PT on July 22, and will feature more games than conversations. The EA Play Live show will “make games the unwavering focus, with new gameplay reveals, a few giveaways, and other surprises.” Altogether, the show will be 40 minutes long and specifically feature Battlefield 2042Apex Legends, and Lost at Random, however, EA teased that “we’ll have a couple other games to highlight as well, but for those, you’ll just have to wait and see.” There’s speculation that the show may include a rumored Dead Space reboot.

Otto Kratky
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Otto Kratky is a freelance writer with many homes. You can find his work at Digital Trends, GameSpot, and Gamepur. If he's…
PlayStation Plus Premium is finally living up to its potential
Jim Ryan talks about PlayStation on stage at CES 2023.

It was inevitable that PlayStation Plus would be broken up into tiers at some point. For years, it was already split between the core PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now, but there was almost no focus put on the latter service until Xbox Game Pass started ramping up. Instead of just rebranding Now as a second tier to Plus, it was instead segmented into Extra and Premium above the Essential tier, which was largely unchanged from what Plus was prior to the change. Premium, being the most expensive option, and even getting the largest price hike with the price increases we saw last year, needed the quality and consistency to match the new asking price.

Up until very recently, I couldn't say PlayStation Plus Premium was worth the cost. It just wasn't delivering the kind of consistency it needed to sell it. Now, it looks like it may be living up to its potential as the best option for longtime PlayStation fans.
The promise of Premium
At a glance, Extra looks like the best value of PS Plus' three tiers if you want more than the absolute basics of online play, cloud saves, and a few free games a month. Extra provides access to a huge library of PS4 and PS5 games from first- and third-parties, frequent new additions, and even the occasional day-one drop. Premium, on the other hand, initially offered nothing more than a drip feed of two or three PS1 and PSP games for years. That's great if you happened to get a game you were fond of or curious about, but the inconsistent pace and quality of the games were hardly worth the yearly price when you could opt to just purchase any that caught your eye à la carte.

Read more
PlayStation 6 predictions: games we expect to see on PS6
A screenshot from The Story So Far in Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

We're four years into the PlayStation 5's lifecycle, which means that we've likely hit the halfway point. Console generations tend to last around eight years these days, so it's not impossible that we'll get a PlayStation 6 by 2028. While it might seem way too early to start anticipating a far off console (and it is), the reality is that the groundwork for it is likely being laid as we speak. Large scale exclusives can take well over four years to produce, which means that some PS6 games could be in the works right this second.

Some of those games seem like foregone conclusions. We'll likely see new games in the God of War and Horizon series, as well as new IP from studios like Housemarque. As for the rest? We already have some firm ideas about what games will land on Sony's next console. That's partially thanks to studio confirmation, leaks, and some good old fashioned common sense. Here our best guesses as to what we might be playing on a shiny new PlayStation by 2030.
Marvel's Spider-Man 3

Read more
Xbox Games Showcase 2024 + Black Ops 6 Direct: How to watch and what to expect
Indiana jones buried in the sand.

Xbox has had a rough year. From the divisive reactions to its multiplatform plans to layoffs and the shuttering of lauded studios like Tango Gameworks, there hasn't been much of a reason to be excited for Xbox recently. Microsoft is hoping to change that on Sunday as it will hold its annual Xbox Games Showcase to give us a glimpse at titles coming from its first-party studios and third-party partners over the course of the next year or two.

It's even holding a Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct right after. If you're an Xbox fan, this is obviously an event that you need to tune into. To help with that, we've rounded up everything you need to know about where and when to watch 2024's Xbox Games Showcase and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct, as well as what your expectations for the presentation should be.
When is the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct
The 2024 Xbox Games Showcase will begin at 10 a.m. PT on Sunday, June 9. The Black Ops 6 Direct will begin immediately after that multigame showcase concludes. Although Microsoft has not committed to an exact start time for that Direct, the Xbox Games Showcase has historically lasted anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half.
Where to watch the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct
Xbox Games Showcase 2024 + Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct (Sunday Live at 10a PT/1p ET)

Read more