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Electronic Arts announces a March 24, 2023 release date for EA Sports PGA Tour. On this day, you can hit the links on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, or PC via the EA App, Steam, and Epic Games Store. This golf game is said to be the "exclusive home" for all four of the Majors in men's golf: The Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open Championship, and The Open.
EA Sports PGA Tour will also include the Road to the Masters at launch. This includes the Augusta National, challenges, tournaments, and gear that are all tied to the Masters. There will also be some live service content released throughout the 2023 PGA Tour and LPGA Tour seasons, but EA is keeping quiet about those things until a later date.
Though not a part of today's release date announcement, we did learn that EA Sports utilized laser scanning helicopters to ensure that the digital courses are as true to their real-life counterparts as can be.
“Augusta’s botanist team gave us access to their tree health software to ensure we properly place every tree and [piece of] vegetation that a player will see in our game,†mentions Producer Ben Ramsour, as he continues to show other detailed shots like ultra-realistic looking crowds that utilize Frostbite’s swarm crowd system, and the lone cypress that stands on the cliffs of Pebble Beach.
“Our use of photogrammetry was especially useful in capturing every nook and cranny of rock formations and foliage from the real thing. At The Country Club (featured in the film, ‘The Greatest Game Ever Played’), we used a low flying helicopter to map the course,†continues Ramsour. “The chopper was equipped with a laser designed to find gold mines and oil reserves; the LiDAR and photogrammetry data is 30 times more dense than publicly available data that other games and simulators use.â€â€‹
“Our use of photogrammetry was especially useful in capturing every nook and cranny of rock formations and foliage from the real thing. At The Country Club (featured in the film, ‘The Greatest Game Ever Played’), we used a low flying helicopter to map the course,†continues Ramsour. “The chopper was equipped with a laser designed to find gold mines and oil reserves; the LiDAR and photogrammetry data is 30 times more dense than publicly available data that other games and simulators use.â€â€‹
EA Sports PGA Tour comes in a couple different flavors. Those that get the Deluxe Edition will get three-day early access to the game along with Augusta National, The Players Championship Gear, The Grand Slam Gear Bundle, Scotty Cameron Putter (in-game), 1,500 Premium PGA Tour points, a PGA Tour XP bundle, and The Masters gear. EA Play members also get early access to the game with a 10-hour trial starting March 21st. EA Play Pro subs get unlimited access to the Deluxe Edition of the game plus an EA Play Staff Bag. All EA Play subs get additional monthly drops that include things like headcovers, shirts, hats, and more.
Pure Strike gives golf fans all the tools they need to realistically attack every hole on every course the same way the pros do. Featuring ShotLink® powered by CDW and TrackMan, Pure Strike also helps ensure that each professional golfer’s unique swing and attributes will be accurately reflected in the game. Pure Strike incorporates the three parts of every golf shot - fluid swing mechanics that are highly accurate to a player’s backswing length and speed of follow through, innovative ball behavior allowing every bounce and roll to behave more accurately across a variety of terrain and course conditions, and lifelike course dynamics that play true to their real life course counterparts.
In addition to being the exclusive home of all four men’s majors, EA SPORTS PGA TOUR is filled with experiences and content players have been asking for in a golf game, including:
In addition to being the exclusive home of all four men’s majors, EA SPORTS PGA TOUR is filled with experiences and content players have been asking for in a golf game, including:
- World Famous Courses -The tee is yours at 30 courses, including some of the world’s most prominent venues such as Augusta National Golf Club, Pebble Beach Golf Links, Southern Hills Country Club, The Old Course at St Andrews Links, The Country Club, Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s Ocean Course, Torrey Pines, Evian Resort Golf Club in Évian-les-Bains, France, East Lake Golf Club, TPC Southwind, The Los Angeles Country Club, Wilmington Country Club and more. EA SPORTS PGA TOUR will also feature the past major host courses in 2021 and 2022 as well as the new 2023 majors courses releasing post-launch.
- Your Career, Your Way -EA SPORTS PGA TOUR provides players with an RPG-like progression system on the Road to the Masters. As theirgolf game improves, the closer they’ll be to becoming a major champion. Players will be able to create and customize a golfer, develop their skills and master each course to attack every hole like a pro. With 20 shot types available as players progress in the game, they can enhance their skill set for driving, approach, short game, or putting, depending on their style. Players will be able to compete to become a major champion, and take on the PGA TOUR's best events in the season-long chase for the FedExCup, as well as conquer the top Amateur Championships including the Augusta National Women's Amateur, the U.S. Amateur, and other elite international amateur events.
- THE PLAYERS Championship and FedExCup Playoffs -The PLAYERS Championship and all three events of the FedExCup Playoffs will be in the game, and players can earn in-game FedExCup points in Career Mode for the opportunity to compete in the FedExCup Playoffs. As part of the Career mode, top golfers at the end of the year will be given the opportunity to win the FedExCup.
- Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and The Amundi Evian Championship - In partnership with the LPGA, EA SPORTS PGATOUR allows fans to compete at The Amundi Evian Championship, one of the LPGA Tour’s five major championships, and have the opportunity to play as several female athletes as well as create a female golfer in the overhauled Create-A-Player feature. Players will also be able to participate in a series of LPGA-themed challenges and other events. Iona Stephen will be joining the EA commentary team as the first female on-course commentator in-game, bringing her experienced insights from both playing professionally and working in golf broadcasting.
- True-to-Life Course Visuals -EA SPORTS PGA TOURwill also present the most realistic visuals in any golf game utilizing EA’s Frostbite™ engine. Using state-of-the-art equipment such as drone technology, custom LiDAR flight helicopters and more to develop terrain maps, EA SPORTS PGA TOUR depicts courses exactly as they appear in real life. The photogrammetry and scanners were also applied to create precise renderings of clubhouses, iconic vegetation, bridges, tee markers, rock formations, and other on-course elements offering players life-like visual experiences of their favorite courses.
- ShotLink® -Utilizing ShotLink® powered by CDW, the PGA TOUR’s proprietary real-time scoring system since 2001, golfers will authentically be replicated with accurate player ratings, skills and magnified true-to-life in-game events.
- TrackMan Data - Insights implemented from TrackMan, a world leader in 3D ball flight measurement and swing analysis, is a critical component to authentic gameplay utilizing a myriad of stats including club tuning, flight trajectory, landing position and much more.
