EA signs Warner Bros. up to Origin Access

Electronic Arts has announced deals to increase the number of games on offer as part of its Origin Access subscriber platform, including its first ever partnership with an external publisher: Warner Bros.

Announced back in 2016 as a £3.99-a-month subscription service tied to its Origin digital distribution platform, Electronic Arts' Origin Access provides subscribers with access to a cache of games dubbed The Vault. Each of these games can be downloaded and played free of charge, providing - naturally - that the player continues to pay the monthly subscription fee. Other features of the service include free trial access to titles not included in The Vault with progress carrying over should a player choose to buy at the end of the trial and a 10 percent discount on all Origin purchases.

As an EA service, it's only natural that Origin Access has thus far concentrated on EA's catalogue of games. This week, though, the company confirmed it has signed deals with external publishers to expand the games on offer - starting with titles from Warner Bros.

The deal brings three entries in Warner Bros.' popular Batman Arkham series - Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, and Arkham Origins - to The Vault, along with three Lego Batman titles. At the same time, EA announced a quartet of other titles due to arrive 'soon': The Witness, Out of the Park Baseball 19, Lost Castle, Bulletstorm Lite, and Wasteland 2.

As a final incentive for gamers to try the service, EA has also announced a seven-day free trial of Origin Access for newcomers signing up before March 26th - though a credit or debit card is required, and the subscription fee will be automatically charged at the end of the week if not manually cancelled.