EA at E3 2017: What to Expect Them to Show

Star Wars Battlefront II Blowout

Without a doubt, the big focus for EA at this year’s E3 is going to be on Star Wars Battlefront II. Few series have as much pull as Star Wars, especially when it’s as highly awaited a sequel as Battlefront II. After a reveal trailer and some preliminary information, EA has been quiet on the game, no doubt waiting for the big show before pulling back the curtain. We know that Battlefront II will be playable at the EA Play event happening during E3, but we don’t know which parts of the game will be on display.

The big new feature on everyone’s mind for Star Wars Battlefront II is the fully-featured campaign that’s been added. Taking place between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, it tells the story of an imperial squad known as Inferno Squad. It’ll be interesting to see how EA and DICE implement a story mode after the multiplayer-only first title, and hopefully that’s something we get to see a bit of at this year’s E3. Either way you can expect plenty of announcements, footage, and gameplay from one of EA’s biggest games of the year.

More Star Wars From Visceral and Respawn

While Star Wars Battlefront II is the big focus, EA has much more in store for fans of the series. All the way since 2013 we’ve known about a new project from Visceral Games and writer Amy Hennig, but up until now all we’ve seen is some very early concept footage. With the game slated to release in 2018, it’s high time we actually see just what it is, considering we know next to nothing other than the fact that it’s a Star Wars game. This year presents the perfect opportunity to finally unveil what else EA has been working on with Star Wars, and give fans a roadmap for the next few years.

Additionally, it’d be nice to know the nature of Respawn’s Star Wars project, or at least what type of game it’s going to be. With EA having exclusive rights to the franchise right now, and it picking up speed with The Last Jedi, you know there’s even more in the works. It’d be great to see what we can expect down the road. 

New Need for Speed

It’s been two year’s since Ghost Games’ reboot of the prolific Need for Speed franchise, something that the developer plans to keep building on later this year. We do know that there’s a new game on the way by the end of 2017, but we still don’t know that much about it. It seems obvious that E3 2017 is the place all that will change, with EA shining a spotlight on the new racing title during their keynote address and EA Play.

From the announcement post on the official site, we know that some kind of reveal will be happening on June 2, before the show. We also know there’s going to be a big emphasis on customization, and the new title will allow you to play through single player without being always online. Racing fans can feel sure they’ll have plenty to look forward to this E3.

Battlefield 1 and Mass Effect: Andromeda DLC

Battlefield 1 was easily one of the biggest games of 2016, and EA will definitely want to keep it in the minds of players. We already know there’s four big expansion packs planned for the game, with the first one titled “They Shall Not Pass” releasing earlier this year. The second expansion “In the Name of the Tsar” was recently announced,  and adds on new weapons, maps, and playable female soldiers. With EA planning on releasing one expansion each quarter of 2017, we’re bound to see at least In the Name of the Tsar, if not the next expansion as well.

At the same time, there’s a strong chance we could see an announcement for the first Mass Effect: Andromeda DLC pack. Released at the end of March, Andromeda has received a stream of updates, both in the form of patches and new multiplayer events. However, some of the more recent multiplayer events could hint at the arrival of the Quarians in the Andromeda galaxy, who were conspicuously absent up until now. E3 2017 is probably the best place to announce new content for Mass Effect: Andromeda, giving players more of an incentive to jump back into the game’s universe besides new patches.

The Return of Dragon Age

With the release of Mass Effect: Andromeda, the time is ripe to bring back BioWare’s other acclaimed RPG series, Dragon Age. This holds doubly true, considering the cliffhangers and questions that were left open at the end of Dragon Age: Inquisition. It seems especially likely we’d see the series return now, given the recent statement by BioWare writer Alexis Kennedy, who said a new entry was in fact in production.

Of course, anything we see from Dragon Age at E3 2017 would likely only be in the preliminary stages. At the most we’d see one of those videos with developers talking about the new entry, and all the great plans they have for it, just like we saw for both Andromeda and Star Wars Battlefront II. Still, it would be exciting for fans just to even know there’s officially a new game on the way.

A Fresh Look at Big Sports Franchises

It wouldn’t be an EA conference without a fresh look at all the big sports franchises coming for the year. We already know that Madden NFL 18, FIFA 18, and NBA Live 18 will all be at EA Play, even for fans to get their hands on. This isn’t even to mention what else EA might have in store for us during their keynote address.

One of the more interesting tidbits about Madden 18 is that it looks like it’s taking cues from another of EA’s franchises, FIFA. After the positive reception to FIFA 17’s story mode, it looks like Madden is going to be doing the same, at least judging by its first trailer. No doubt, we’ll get details on this and some of the updated gameplay systems to Madden and all of EA’s other sports titles during this year’s E3.