Codemasters is a storied studio that has a legacy of creating some of the most revered racing titles in the genre. Last year, Codemasters was purchased by Electronic Arts. After the purchase,EAsaid it would allow Codemasters to run as an independent entity under its umbrella, similar to how the studio Respawn Entertainment has acted since its acquisition by EA in 2017. At this year’s EA Play Live event, Codemasters' first game since the acquisition,GRID Legends, has been revealed.
GRID Legendsappeared among a number of otherbig announcements at EA Play Live, and was shown off with a reveal trailer as well as a brief discussion with Codemasters' senior designer. The game had a lot to show, with some great new features and a sprawling campaign mode. Many fans of the studio were curious to see how the acquisition by EA may impact the studio’s games, and it already seems as though it has brought some big changes toGRID. With the game slated to launch sometime next year, there are likely even more ways thatGRIDwill benefit from the EA acquisition as well.
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The History of Codemasters
Codemasters was founded in England in the 1980s, where it started developing a wide range of titles for 8-bit consoles and computers. Over the years, Codemasters worked on a number of high-profile titles such asThe Lord of the Rings Onlineand eventually expanded into publishing. Here, the company published titles likeOverlordandClive Barker’s Jericho. In 2008, Codemasters acquired the rights to begin developing itsimmensely popularF1seriesof racing games after Sony’s deal with the company expired.
From there, Codemasters continued to release titles that were smaller in scope but sought to satisfy specific demographics of players. It released titles likeRise of the Argonauts,Fuel, andBodycount. Meanwhile, the studio continued to produce yearlyF1entries as well as developing theDirtandGRIDseries of racing games. Codemasters' name eventually became synonymous with racing titles across the industry. Eventually, Codemasters was approached by Take-Two for acquisition beforeEA ultimately out-bide Take-Twoand acquired the studio for itself. The company was purchased for $1.2 billion, which served as a testament to the studio’s reach and legacy throughout the games industry.
How EA Has Helped Grid Legends
Now, Codemasters has unveiledGRID Legends, and has given its fans a little taste of what they can expect from the newest entry in the series. What has been shown of the game thus far has shown thatGRID Legendslooks to expand the series in entirely new ways. The trailer showcasing the game featured a number of new classes of vehicles for players to learn and race with, as well as the ability for players to set up races with multiple classes of vehicles allowed.GRID Legendswill also feature a campaignmode with Hollywood talent that follows the gripping story of a worldwide race tour.
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One major aspect ofGRID Legendsthat was discussed during EA Play Live was the extended-reality technology that the team was able to take advantage of thanks to the EA acquisition. The technology was developed on-set for thehitStar WarsshowThe Mandalorian. The technology uses LED screens to display the worlds and scenes on set that actors will be placed into in the final game, which allows them to be more immersed in the scenes and react according to their environment.GRID Legendsis the first game to take advantage of the technology, and it will be very interesting to see what impact it has on the campaign mode. It is really great to see that the EA acquisition has already led to Codemasters being able to improve their games with new options and creativity. There are surely more ways the EA acquisition has impactedGRID Legendsthat fans won’t know about until the game’s release, but it will be interesting to learn what they are.
How EA Will Help Grid Legends' Release
EA’s acquisition of Codemasters will also have a massive impact onGRID Legends' release. Codemasters' previous titles were focused on reaching smaller, more dedicated audiences, but EA’s involvement will allow the game to reach the massive community of racing game fans across the industry. This will not only be possible throughGRID Legends’increased scope, but also the considerable increase in marketing that EA brings to the table. EA’s involvement with the game will also helpGRID Legendsreach players through programs like EA Play. Previous Codemasters gameDirt 5experienced an increase in lasting player countthanks to being featured on Xbox Game Pass, so it seems likelyGRID Legendswill benefit similarly from these programs.
EA Play will also helpGRID Legendsreach new players through its feature that allows players to try new EA games for a couple of hours, sometimes even before the game has fully released. A program like that could do massive things to help the game attract players that don’t have to pay anything extra. WithEA Play being included with Xbox Game Passas well, the number of players who will have the option to tryGRID Legendsfor themselves at launch will be a huge opportunity for Codemasters.
EA’s acquisition of Codemasters has a lot of potentials to set the game up for success, and there are a lot of exciting things that the development team is adding to the series with its newest entry. Codemasters found success with itscampaign mode inF1 2021, so it will be interesting to see what the studio has learned from that experience and how it adapts for its newest campaign. Hopefully, players will get some more news onGRID Legendsand all of its features sometime soon.
GRID Legendsis scheduled to release in 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
