Electronic Arts announces seven games that will be added to the Origin Access vault this summer, including all three Crysis games, and classic RPG Jade Empire.
The $5 per month subscription price to download free games from the Origin Access vault is going to be an even better deal later this summer. That’s because EA has announced a slew of high profile games that are being added to the service within the next couple of months, including all three Crysis games, Mini Metro, Plants vs. Zombies, SimCity 2000, and the critically acclaimed RPG from BioWare, Jade Empire.It seems as though all of these games will be added to the vault at the same time, making it one of the biggest updates to the vault in the history of the service. Considering the number of games being added to the vault at once, it’s probable that this update will be the only one for Origin Access subscribers to look forward to this summer.
However, with high profile games like Crysis and Jade Empire as part of the lineup, Origin Access subscribers will find it hard to complain. Jade Empire in particular may be one of the more popular of the games in the vault when it is added, as it has developed a dedicated following since its launch over a decade ago, and often comes up in discussions of games that deserve sequels.
Whether or not BioWare will ever pursue a sequel to Jade Empire remains to be seen. BioWare hasn’t discussed Jade Empire or its hypothetical sequel in years, but it being added to the Origin Access vault is encouraging. It shows that EA is aware of the game’s popularity and following, and if the company thinks that it can sell Origin Access subscriptions, maybe it thinks a sequel would be viable as well.
Of course, BioWare is a little busy at the moment, and may not have the time to pursue a Jade Empire sequel. Right now, it is working on the highly anticipated Mass Effect: Andromeda, which is scheduled to launch in early 2017. Besides Mass Effect, BioWare is also working on a new IP, which is rumored to be something other than RPG – a departure from BioWare’s typical projects.
While fans wait for news on a potential Jade Empire comeback, they will be able to play the original for free on PC soon enough. If enough fans download the free version, it may convince EA and BioWare to revisit the IP down the road, so Jade Empire enthusiasts may want to consider signing up for an EA Access account.
Jade Empire will be added to the Origin Access vault this summer.