EA Play Live, the AAA publisher's major presentation for 2021, is coming up on July 22, but the company has already announced that several of its most anticipated titles will not be making appearances. These include Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Skate and Star Wars. This news has left many fans disappointed, and some are even concerned about the state of these franchises.
It's possible that this is for the best, as EA could be trying to temper expectations in advance. As Cyberpunk 2077 proved last year, showing off a game too early and releasing it before it's ready leads to greater anger and disappointment than having to wait longer. Still, the lack of news could also lead to fans losing interest.
As it stands, only Apex Legends and the upcoming Battlefield 2042 have been confirmed for the event, with updates for the former likely to be showcased along with a new mode for the latter. It's likely the show will also include EA Sports titles like Madden and FIFA. While this at least gives viewers an idea of what to expect, these hardly make up for so many absences. More than a decade after Skate 3's release, a new entry in the series is finally in the works, but the developers have said that it's too soon to show anything -- though the team did post a short video confirming the project is coming along.
Also disappointing is the absence of upcoming BioWare games, which does nothing to quell fans' concerns based on the quality of the studio's recent titles. Mass Effect Andromeda and Anthem were poorly received, leaving Mass Effect and Dragon Age fans nervous that those games' announced sequels won't live up to previous titles. These fears have only been made worse by several of BioWare's original developers and directors leaving to pursue other interests. Hopefully, though, this absence means the developers are taking the time they need to make sequels that live up to their predecessors' glory.
What might be most disappointing, however, EA announcing that no Star Wars games will be appearing. Jedi: Fallen Order is considered a resurgence for the franchise's video game pursuits, many of which have been lackluster. The new Battlefront series, for example, has been controversial, partly due to its implementation of microtransactions and loot boxes. In contrast, Fallen Order was far more successful, with many calling it the most original Star Wars gaming property in recent years.
A single-player adventure game, Fallen Order's combat was fun and challenging, its story connected new and old lore that fit well into Star Wars mythos. While nothing has been confirmed, it only makes sense for Respawn Entertainment to be developing a sequel. This also comes at a time when Ubisoft has announced an open-world Star Wars game, indicating that EA's exclusivity deal is coming to an end. If it isn't showing anything now, it absolutely needs to be ready with a sequel soon to make the most of the rest of its contract.
The absence of these series will definitely be felt, but it does presents the opportunity to surprise fans with something new and unexpected. Rumors have circulated that a new Dead Space game will be revealed. Developed by Visceral Games, the most recent in the series and its DLC left fans on a huge cliffhanger regarding the fate of its protagonist and the fate of humanity. Unfortunately, Visceral was shut down in 2017, shelving the series. It's unknown who would be working on a Dead Space sequel now, but any well-made continuation of this series would certainly delight the fans who miss it.