EA Play Live 2020: 'Apex Legends' To Steam, Cross-Play, Other Details

Opening borders via cross-play, a launch for “Apex Legends,” and several EA titles finally arriving on Steam were some of the highlights of EA’s big digital event.

Electronic Arts have rolled out their upcoming releases via livestream in a digital version of their usual live show in Los Angeles usually held just prior to E3.

EA Play Live 2020 saw several announcements being made, the biggest of which is “Apex Legends” coming to Steam, the Nintendo Switch, and Stadia. Respawn Entertainment’s hit game will surprisingly feature cross-play, or the ability for gamers across different platforms to come to play together.

EA itself announced a greater openness to cross-play, with the concept gaining momentum among consumer advocates and industry leaders. It would be a huge leap forward in the industry if EA, the largest games publisher aside from Activision Blizzard, is indeed pushing for it, notes The Washington Post.

A full edition of “The Sims 4” is also coming to Steam, complete with DLCs. Aside from the trailer for the game, however, the popular life simulator from EA and Maxis cast a light on the diverse community that enjoys the title.

The video focused on marginalized and minority gamers, talking about how “The Sims 4” has helped them create a safe and welcoming world for everyone. These voices included players with different backgrounds, disabilities, and sexual or gender identities.

For several years, EA’s own digital storefront, EA Origins, competed with Steam by being the only place to find games from the publisher. With “Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order” making the initial leap to Steam last year, other EA titles will now be following suit.

As the most popular PC game digital storefront, The Washington Post reports that Steam will now finally include EA hits like “Battlefield V,” “Dragon Age: Inquisition,” “Need for Speed Heat,” “Titanfall 2” and “Star Wars Battlefront 2.”

Three indies releasing as EA Originals were also revealed during the event: “It Takes Two” is a co-op action-adventure platformer, created by Josef Fares, the same man behind 2018′s “A Way Out.” “Lost in Random” is like a dark fairy tale right out of a Tim Burton movie. Coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC, “Rocket Arena” is a 3v3 team-based game where you launch rockets at your opponents.