Battlefront’s coming to EA Access: What does that mean?

Get ready for Battlefront’s arrival to EA Access later this year.

While no specific date is set, EA announced on Friday that the Star Wars shooter will enter the EA Access and Origin Access Vaults at some point.

In the time since that announcement, I’ve seen some confusion. Some don’t know how EA Access works while others think this means Battlefront will be free. This article will hopefully clear some things up!

What is EA Access?

EA offers EA Access as a subscription service. It launched in August 2014 for Xbox One and in January 2016 for PC (under the name “Origin Access“). There is not currently a PS4 version available.

This subscription service offers several things.

First, those who subscribe have unlimited access to a selection of games (currently, 31 games are available on Xbox One and 30 on PC). This selection is known as the “Vault”. Games in the Vault can be downloaded by subscribers and played without the need to actually purchase the games.

Current games in the Vault for Xbox One include FIFA 16, Madden 16, Need for Speed, Battlefield Hardline and Dragon Age: Inquisition. Battlefront will be joining the lineup on both Xbox One and PC later this year.

Think of it as Netflix for EA games; you pay EA a fee and then you can play any of the available games as much as you want.

If you cancel the service, or your account is suspended, save game data is retained in case you choose to re-subscribe or fully purchase a game.

Next, subscribers can purchase most EA games for 10% off at the Xbox One games store (or EA’s Origin store on PC). For most new game releases, that equates to roughly $6 off. Besides full-games this includes pre-orders, expansion packs and “everything in between.”

Finally, subscribers can gain early access to select EA titles before they officially release. For instance, this feature is available for Battlefield 1. Subscribers are able to play that game for up to 10 hours starting on October 13 (roughly one week in advance). Sometimes this trial is further limited (like Battlefield 1) while other titles have had the full game available for a limited number of hours (like Battlefront). Regardless, game progress in the early access trial carries over should you purchase the full game. Because I’m a sucker, I actually purchased a month of EA Access so I could play ten hours of Battlefront the week before it launched. 😛

For games with this early access opportunity, subscribers can play during the trial period without pre-ordering the full game. However, a separate purchase is required to play the game after the 10 hours are up.

Note that not all games fall under the discount and early access categories. Titanfall 2 is one of those cases; EA Access members do not receive benefits when purchasing that game, nor will an early access trial be available before the game releases on October 28.

A couple of other things: EA Access is available without Xbox Live Gold; however, you’ll need Xbox Live Gold to take advantage of online multiplayer capabilities of games. Also, EA Access is currently available in 41 countries (including the USA, many big countries in Western Europe, and Australia). To check out the full list, go here.

So with all that figured out, how much does EA Access cost?

On a month-to-month basis, the service costs $4.99 US for both Xbox One and PC. Xbox One users can further cut the price in half by purchasing 12 months of the service (for $29.99 US), but this is unfortunately not available for PC users (thanks to Battlefront Updates for noting the 12-month price and iamdw for noting the lack of PC option).

What does it mean for Battlefront?

So Battlefront will be entering the service later this year, but we don’t know the precise date. I’d guess it’ll arrive with or before the Rogue One DLC’s release. But again, that’s just a guess.

Timing the release like that could potentially boost Rogue One DLC and Season Pass sales. That’s assuming EA Access subscribers will only gain access to the base game and not any of the paid DLCs, which is likely the case. However, there’s a chance that could change later down the road; Battlefield 4 and Hardline’s Premium packs were available to download for EA Access subscribers for a limited time.

Battlefront’s addition to the Vault could also boost player numbers. While we don’t actually know the size of the subscriber base for EA Access, the game will suddenly be opened to more players who haven’t purchased it. It then follows that more users should start playing the game. This could end up being especially beneficial for the PC player base.

One thing to note is that Battlefront’s arrival to the Vault is not free. You must still pay to become a subscriber of EA Access. However, those who are already members of EA Access won’t need to pay extra in order to play Battlefront (at least the base game; the Season Pass will probably require a separate purchase).

Should you get EA Access?

This is a tough question that really depends on how much you game and what games you play.

If you are getting it simply to play Battlefront, I would say no. Battlefront can often be purchased for around $20 now, which is less than buying the $30, 12-month subscription on Xbox One.

However, if you like playing other games besides Battlefront (especially if you like EA Sports titles), there might be some merit in purchasing a subscription. More games will likely be added to the Vault later on and the $30 pricetag for a year’s worth of gaming on Xbox One doesn’t look too shabby. Still, it’s definitely worth checking out the full list of current games before diving in.

Another case where it might be beneficial to give EA Access a go is if you want to try Battlefront out before purchasing the full game. Once Battlefront is out on EA Access, you could spend the $5 to subscribe for one month. Similarly, if you think you’ll only play Battlefront for a month or two, it could also be worth it. However, this could potentially cost more down the line if you end up purchasing Battlefront.

Additionally, another factor to consider is that you don’t actually own the games in the Vault. Thus, if EA shuts the service down, you’ll loose access to those games, even if you’ve plunked hundreds of dollars into the service. Of course, digital games nowadays function more like licenses, even if you’ve purchased the game. Still, it’s worth considering!

Anyways, hope this was helpful! If you have any questions, or noticed any errors, don’t hesitate to comment down below, or reach out on Twitter or Facebook.

Image sources:

• Battlefront images taken in-game.
• FIFA 16 image.
• Battlefield 1 image taken by Battlefield Captures (aka Battlefront Captures). Check out their Flickr page for more.