Origin Access and EA Access are both being renamed 'EA Play'
EA plans to expand the renamed subscription service with in-game challenges and monthly rewards.
An EA Access page recently appeared on Steam, promising that the subscription-based service is "coming soon" to the storefront. But it won't be known as EA Access when it goes live: Electronic Arts announced today that on August 18 it will bring EA Access and Origin Access, the PC subscription service offered through its Origin storefront, together under a single, new name of EA Play.
The basics of the service will be unchanged. Subscribers will have access to the same library of EA games and pre-release trial versions currently offered through EA and Origin Access, and will still get ten percent off any purchases they make. For more committed fans, Origin Access Premier, with unlimited access to a wider range of EA games including new releases, is also sticking around, but will be known as EA Play Pro.
Longer-term, however, Electronic Arts plans to expand its offerings further under the new brand with features like in-game challenges and monthly reward drops. Specifics will vary from game to game, "but we’re talking things like early access challenges and rewards like Ultimate Team Packs, exclusive vanity items and cosmetics, and more," it said.
EA also clarified that, while the name is now unified, the service itself is not: You'll need to purchase separate subscriptions for each platform you want to take advantage of EA Play on. And if you're concerned that these EA Play subscriptions services could be confused with the annual EA Play presentations during E3, do not fret: That's being renamed too, to EA Play Live. Full details on the change and all it entails (which, at this point, is just a new name) are up at ea.com.
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Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.