EA Play Live 2020: What is in store for gamers this year and beyond

With this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) officially cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, gaming manufacturers and developers have switched to curated online presentations instead. Microsoft already started last month with its Inside Xbox, which was collectively criticised by journalist and fans alike. Sony followed up last week with its gameplay showcase and subsequent PS5 reveal. A few hours ago, Electronic Arts took its turn on stage with its EA Play Live 2020 with several surprises to the delight of gamers.

Over the years, the publisher has been critically panned by the gaming community as well as industry pundits for its missteps. Among these are its pay-to-win mechanics, loot boxes, the horrible facial animations in "Mass Effect: Andromeda," lack of post-launch support for "Anthem," and so much more. Nevertheless, it also had recent successes such as its online battle royale shooter "Apex Legends" and some of the announcements it made during the stream.

In May, EA CEO Andrew Wilson teased that the company plans to release more games for the Nintendo Switch. It appears that it was not an empty promise as what many were led to believe. According to Nintendo Life, Alex Ackerman, Respawn Entertainment Senior Media Manager, confirmed that the game studio has seven games pencilled for release on the Nintendo Switch in the next 12 months.

It seems that the first one to drop will be "Burnout Paradise" and will be surprisingly followed by "Apex Legends" down the line. Moreover, the developers are apparently enabling cross-platform play for most of its games, which is somehow the trend among AAA multiplayer titles. Meanwhile, the latter is likewise getting a "Lost Treasures Collection" seasonal event along with limited-time game mode called "Armed and Dangerous Evolved."

Taking advantage of their "Star Wars" license. EA is shifting from on-ground battles and taking the fight interstellar. "Star Wars: Squadrons" is a new shooter that allows players to pilot the franchise's iconic ships such as TIE Fighters, X-Wings, and many more. Finally, it is introducing a new installment for its highly requested "Skate" series. Although the release date was not revealed, more details might be announced by the publisher soon.