E3 has been a good year so far for EA, it’s had the fortune to be able to bring some heavy hitters to the table, what with Mass Effect Andromeda, Battlefield 1, and Titanfall 2, but it doesn’t stop there. They had some other major reveals this year.
The first big surprise was EA Originals, and its accompanying game Fe, likely to be a big hit it’s been covered in its own right.
The second big deal was EA making a drastic commitment to the world of E-Sports. E-Sports have come a long way in the past couple of years, with a vast increase in attention, prizes, and uptake. EA have apparently decided to seize on this by throwing their hat into the ring.
Displaying a three tier system for EA related E-Sports, the hope being that the new three tier system. Currently listed as “Challenger” “Premier” and “Major” would aid many of EA’s current projects to enter the E-Sports arena, their desire being that its Madden and FIFA franchises enter become recognised competitive games.
This new feather to their cap, titled: The EA Competitive Gaming Division, is being headed up by Peter Moore, already a major player within the EA corporate structure. The idea is to use “Challenger” and “Premier” competitions (each officially EA helmed) to build a strong player and competitor base, eventually leading up to the “Major” competitions.
The “Major” competitions are going to be the big ones, EA funded, EA run, these will be the grand championships if you will of EA E-Sports.
EA didn’t stop there, they wanted to show off their commitment to the Star Wars franchise. A wise move considering the impending release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. To this end they took us through a whirlwind ride of the developers building star wars themed games to be with us in the future.
There are many planned, and despite some hints at what we might be seeing, an imperial controlled Tatooine in one instance, and the briefly mentioned “other eras” coming in battlefront 2, and a game set in a period not yet played, the publisher was keeping a tight rein on rumours.