Today, EA Sports has lifted the veil off of its much anticipated EA SPORTS PGA TOUR. The game will launch on March 14 of this year for current generation platforms and PC. There will not be a previous generation version of the game as the development team is looking to maximize visuals using the Frostbite Engine for the game. EA SPORTS PGA TOUR will present realistic visuals that includes laser scanning using LiDAR flight helicopters and drone technology to properly map each course. These courses will be depicted as they are in real life as photogrammery and scanners were added on top of everything to precisely render clubhouses, iconic vegetation, bridges and other objects on the course.
Speaking of courses, the game is offering thirty different courses that are backed by big names. While the main highlight is Augusta National, others include Pebble Beach, Southern Hills, St Andrews, The Country Club, Kiawah Island Ocean Course, Torrey Pines, Evian Resort, TPC Southwind, France and East Lake to name a few. Past, current and future Majors from 2021-2023 will be included in the game. This is also backed by unique broadcast presentation for each course to help double down on what is seen on television during sunny weekends.
THE PLAYERS Championship and the FedExCup Playoffs will be a part of EA SPORTS PGA TOUR, as this also backs the Career Mode in the game. Players can start in either the Amateurs, Korn Ferry or the PGA as the top golfers will be granted access to win the FedExCup. EA is also including the LPGA and The Amundi Evian Championship along with the ability to create players in the game, either male or female. Separate LPGA-themed challenges will be included and new commentary is being added with Iona Stephen joining the crew. Diving deeper into the Career Mode, the RPG-like progression system of Road to the Majors will have players improve their game as they’ll create golfers, develop skills and master each course. Players can also expect twenty shot types in the game as they enhance skills to drive, approach, short game and putt. EA SPORTS PGA TOUR will play like the previous titles in the series in terms of approaching the shot. The cutscene also kicks in like it used to when the perfect drive is hit and players can also alter the ball roll during flight.
Analytics will be a big part of EA SPORTS PGA TOUR with the addition of ShotLink, powered by CDW. This is the PGA TOUR’s proprietary real-time scoring system as it will authentically replicate accurate player ratings, skills and in-game events. TrackMan Data will be used for 3D ball flight measurement and swing analysis. It uses various stats including club tuning, flight trajectory, landing position and more. Backing all the traditional gameplay elements and the new analytics is Pure Strike, ensuring every unique swing and attribute will be accurately reflected in the game. It incorporates the three parts of every golf shot, which means fluid swing mechanics that are highly accurate to a player’s backswing length and speed will be key to winning. This also affects ball behavior for various terrain and course conditions.
EA SPORTS PGA TOUR is available for pre-order today on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series and PC via the EA App, Steam and Epic Games Store. Opting for the Deluxe Edition will grant three-day early access and gear including Augusta National, THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP, The Grand Slam Bundle, Scotty Cameron Putter in-game, 1,500 Premium PGA TOUR points, a PGA TOUR XP Bundle and The Masters gear. Players can also expect a ton of licensed clothing apparel from big names. EA Play members will also receive a ten hour early access starting on March 21, whereas EA Play Pro members will have unlimited access to the Deluxe Edition. Bonus incentives and monthly drops for Pro members will be released, as well.
