For the first time in eight years, EA Sports returns to the golf course with a new PGA Tour game, set to reboot the golfing franchise that has been around since 1999. Here are the PGA Tour Release Date, features, and mechanics that you need to know.
First announced in March 2021, EA Sports PGA Tour is going to be the first new PGA Tour game published by EA Sports since 2015's Rory McIlroy PGA Tour, which was also incidentally the first game in the series not to feature golfing legend Tiger Woods in its cover and title.
EA Sports PGA Tour Release Date: April 7, 2023
EA Sports PGA Tour, not to be confused with 2K's own PGA Tour 2K23, will be coming out on April 7, 2023, on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC via the EA App, Steam, and the Epic Games Store. Pre-orders are now open for the game, which will cost $69.99 for the standard edition and $84.99 for its Digital Deluxe Edition.
EA Sports' return to the green is illustrative of the growing market in golfing, a sport that saw a resurgence during the pandemic years and has continued receiving new patrons since. However, the game will have to top a video game rival in the form of 2K Sports' own PGA Tour 2K23. Hence, anyone who played PGA Tour 2K23 and found it lacking could try out and see if EA Sports' own attempt of acing it in one would work better for them.
EA Sports PGA Tour Features and Mechanics: The Home of The Majors
EA Sports PGA Tour boasts having dibs on the world's most exclusive dibs, along with its exclusive rights over depicting The Majors in a video game. It is indeed one of the pillars of the game's development, delivering what EA calls the “#1 Most Requested Feature” to fans. The game will also feature 30 realistic and accurate “bucket list” courses designed using the Frostbite engine using photogrammetry data at launch, “Pure Strike Gameplay” powered by Shotlink which EA promises to be fun to play that prioritizes gameplay over realism and a more fleshed-out career mode that has more RPG mechanics that let players choose where their career starts (i.e., through the amateur scene and the Korn Ferry Tour) and how their skills are spread.
Home of the Majors and the FedEx Cup – As previously reported here at ClutchPoints, the game will be featuring the FedEx Cup. On top of that, players will be able to “live the fantasy” of chasing trophies and of course, the coveted Green Jacket, through the different Majors available to play in the game.
The World's Most Exclusive Courses – Augusta National, St Andrews, East Lake, Torrey Pines, and Riviera Country Club are just some of the thirty exclusive “Bucket List” courses that players will get to play in at launch, all meticulously modeled using photogrammetry obtained with the use of helicopters, planes, and drones for a more realistic, more authentic feel of the golf course.
Evolved and more accurate physics engine – Using the Frostbite Engine and the aforementioned Shotlink and Trackmaster features in the game, EA Sports PGA Tour offers the most accurate and most precise shot swinging, hitting, and putting experience a golf video game can offer through its game's mechanics, so accurate that EA claims they expect PGA pros will use their game in testing their swings before using them in actual matches.
Career Mode and Multiplayer – Players will be able to simulate an entire career of golfing which could lead them to the Majors and the PGA Tour, a journey that they don't have to do alone, as they can play with up to 16 players in the game's online multiplayer game mode, where all players golf simultaneously.
EA Sports PGA Tour Roster
Players can expect to either play as or play against the world's top PGA and LPGA Tour players, including the following:
- Scottie Scheffler
- Nelly Korda
- Tony Finau
- Danielle Kang
- Patrick Cantlay
- Lexi Thompson
- Jordan Spieth
All of the players part of the EA Sports PGA Tour roster have been rendered as realistically as possible using body motion and scanning technology, rendered using EA's proprietary Frostbite Engine.
Also included in EA Sports PGA Tour's roster is the commentary team. EA says that they put together a lot of resources to offer a presentation that makes it feel like the player is actually part of a live television broadcast. The game will feature hundreds of hours of recordings from the likes of Frank Nobilo, Rich Lerner, Notah Begay, Iona Stephen, and Sir Nick Faldo.
Of course, your own customizable character is also part of the EA Sports PGA Tour roster is included, which you can customize with loads of different apparel and gear from 40 notable brands like Bad Birdie, Titleist, Golf Pride, and TaylorMade.
EA Sports PGA Tour: Standard vs. Deluxe Edition
EA Sports PGA Tour will be launching in both Standard ($69.99) and Deluxe ($84.99) editions.
Preorders: Pre-ordering the game will give players a set of cosmetics for their player. The Standard Edition will have The PLAYERS Gear, The Grand Slam Gear Bundle, and the Scotty Cameron Putter. The Deluxe Edition will have 3-day early access before the EA Sports PGA Tour release date, early access to the Augusta National featuring a limited-time online tournament, and a PGA Tour XP Bundle to jumpstart their career in-game.
Deluxe Edition: On top of the pre-order bonuses, players who purchase the deluxe edition will also receive The Masters Gear, The Grand Slam Gear Bundle, the Scotty Cameron Putter, 1,500 in-game premium credits, and The PLAYERS Gear.
PGA Tour Post-Launch Content: Finally, EA Sports also promises to release post-launch content throughout the golfing calendar, featuring different aspects of the professional golfing scene. As the launch focuses more on thee Road to the Masters, future updates will then move on to the PGA Championship, the US Open, the FedEx Cup, and finally, the Ryder Cup.
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