How to watch EA Play Live 2021 today - UK time plus which games will and won't appear
Step aside, E3. It's time for EA Play Live. We've got the latest info and the UK timings here.
Today's the day! The main EA Play Live 2021 showcase is taking place tonight, with Electronic Arts hoping to wow us with a hefty live stream event that will tease numerous exciting games (although some titles have already been confirmed not to be appearing).
This, of course, is what EA Games and EA Sports are doing for their main promo event this summer, having opted not to appear at E3 2021 where much of the gaming industry revealed their latest trailers.
EA has been building up to today's EA Play Live 2021 event with something called the Spotlight Series, a string of smaller live streams where a select few games and developers were featured. (You can read our EA Play Live recap here, which covers all that preamble).
And so, for the full lowdown on when and where to tune in for EA Play Live tonight, read on for all the essential details about the show - including the games you shouldn't expect to see!
When is EA Play Live 2021? Date and UK time confirmed
Following on from the EA Play Live Spotlight Series events which happened over the last few days, the main show from EA Play Live 2021 is taking place today. That's 22nd July 2021, with EA confirming on its dedicated webpage that the 'Pre-show' will start at 10 am PST. Here in the UK, that means the preamble will begin at 6pm BST. We don't yet know how long the event will run for, so it's probably safest to tune in at the advertised start time and see what happens.
What is EA Play Live?
Describing tonight's stream, the organisers have said, "EA Play Live is about making games the unwavering focus, with new gameplay reveals, a few giveaways and other surprises. Lifelong gamer and WWE superstar Austin Creed will host the event and keep things moving right along. EA Play Live starts with a short pre-show that serves as a recap of sorts, before the main show brings the real excitement, focusing on games that are coming out soon rather than in the all-to-distant future.
"The show is fast-paced and features what’s next for games like Battlefield 2042 and Apex Legends. You’ll also see the first gameplay for Lost in Random featuring explosive dice battles. We have a couple other games to highlight as well, but for those, you’ll just have to watch and see."
How can I watch EA Play Live 2021? Where to find the live stream
You can watch EA Play Live 2021 right here! Simply click on the YouTube video below when the time comes, and settle down for a whole load of trailers and reveals from the team at Electronic Arts.
The stream will also be shared on EA's official website and Twitch account, and we would expect to see the stream on EA's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds too. It should be easy to find a way to watch, then!
EA Play Live 2021 schedule: UK times for Spotlight Series and main event
If you want even more EA action, there are a number of pre-show events - collectively as the 'Spotlight Series' - which you can catch up on. There was one about first-person shooters, one about indie games, and two about upcoming sports games. And then, to top it all off, we have the main EA Play Live event tonight. Here's the schedule, from a UK perspective, with links to where you can watch or rewatch the streams:
Thursday 8th July
- 6pm UK time - The Future of FPS
Tuesday 13th July
- 6pm UK time - EA Originals <3s Independent Studios
Monday 19th July
- Midnight UK time, going into the 20th July - Madden NFL 22 All-Access: Scouting
Tuesday 20th July
- 6pm UK time - FIFA Next Gen Gameplay Powered by HyperMotion Technology
Thursday 22nd July
- 6pm UK time - EA Play Live main show
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What will be revealed at EA Play Live 2021? Predictions, rumours and confirmed games
EA has confirmed that Battlefield 2042, new content for Apex Legends, and some gameplay footage for an indie game called Lost in Random will feature in this stream, alongside "a couple other games" that haven't been named just yet.
One of the biggest rumours surrounding EA Play Live 2021 - one that GamesBeat, Eurogamer and Gematsu all seem to believe - suggests that a revival will be revealed for Dead Space, EA's sci-fi/horror franchise which hasn't had a new entry since 2013. EA Motive, the studio behind the recent Star Wars Squadrons, is rumoured to be working on a new Dead Space title which may well be announced during this stream.
In the world of sports, perhaps the recently revealed FIFA 22 will receive a deep dive of some sort here. We already know the release date, but any further info would surely be devoured by fans. That being said, it's worth noting that there was an entire EA Play Live: Spotlight Series pre-show event about FIFA, which you can rewatch online now.
It'll be interesting to see whether The Sims franchise makes an appearance. The Sims 4 Cottage Living DLC is launching today, and the rumours surrounding The Sims 5 have been rumbling on for years now, but only time will tell if either game gets a slot at EA Play Live.
Which games will not feature at EA Play Live 2021? Star Wars and Skate won't appear
If you were hoping to hear about the various BioWare projects in the ether - such as the next Dragon Age, the upcoming Mass Effect sequel, or the rumoured Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake - it's time to adjust your expectations. The team from BioWare already said on Twitter, "we won’t be showing anything at EA Play Live".
In fact, there won't be any Star Wars games shown at EA Play Live this year. The official EA Star Wars Twitter account said, "We won’t be showing any new Star Wars games at EA Play Live on July 22nd…but all of us look forward to celebrating with you next year when we share our vision for the Galaxy far, far away!" So you shouldn't expect to see Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order 2 here.
- For the latest news and expert tips on getting the best deals this year, take a look at our Black Friday 2021 and Cyber Monday 2021 guides.
The Skate franchise is also ruling itself out, with the developers posting a tweet to say, "We know many of you were hoping to see more from us this week but we’re not ready for prime time just yet and we won’t be part of the EA Play Live show on Thursday." So don't expect Skate 4 to appear!
There are plenty of other options for EA, though, and it'll be interesting to see which games make it into the event. Here's hoping we get some real surprises, too! We'll be sure to update you when we know more.
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Authors
Rob Leane is the Gaming Editor at Radio Times, overseeing our coverage of the biggest games on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC, mobile and VR. Rob works across our website, social media accounts and video channels, as well as producing our weekly gaming newsletter. He has previously worked at Den of Geek, Stealth Optional and Dennis Publishing.
