Electronic Arts is merging two of its subscription services under one umbrella. EA Access and Origin Access will be renamed EA Play and current subscribers won't have to do anything to move to this new service — but they will be getting more discounts soon.
Previously, Electronic Arts ran two very similar subscription services. Origin Access was for the company's Origin client on the PC. On the flip side, EA Access was used for Xbox One. These services were largely the same, but there was no cross-platform support; if you wanted to get the benefits on both PC and Xbox One, you needed a subscription for both services.
Now, Electronic Arts has made the announcement that these services are effectively merging. EA Access and Origin Access Basic will become EA Play and Origin Access Premier will now be called EA Play Pro.
One might note that there's a tiny issue with branding: "EA Play" was already used for the company's annual gaming event. That event will now be called "EA Play Live," neatly nipping any potential confusion in the bud.
What Do You Get With EA Play?
Let's get the important bit out of the way: if you're a current subscriber, you have to do absolutely nothing. You'll be automatically moved over to the new system when it debuts on August 18, 2020. The existing benefits you may have — access to games, early game trials, and a 10% membership discount will also remain.
EA is just changing the name, though; new benefits are being added to the service. Exclusive in-game challenges and monthly reward drops are going to be added for subscribers for certain games. One potential type of reward will be exclusive cosmetics or vanity items.
Unfortunately, the one thing we don't know is the price. While the EA news post tells us a lot about the name change and the things to come, it doesn't quite detail how much EA Play is going to cost you. For the sake of context, the basic models of EA Access and Origin Access cost $4.99 a month and Origin Access Premiere costs $14.99 a month. We'll find out for certain when the new EA Play launches on August 18, 2020.
What do you think of Electronic Arts merging EA Access and Origin Access into one service? Do you think it will offer enough benefits to be worth the price? Let us know in the comments below!
