Wondering which to pick: Origin Basic vs Premiere subscription? EA now offers two subscription based membership tiers on their Origin platform. Read this guide to learn what is the difference between the two and which one you should get to best match your needs and pockets!
EA now officially has two subscription models for their paid membership EA Origin program. The old one, which was simply called “EA Origin” is renamed to “Origin Basic” and the new one, which was announced earlier this year, is now available for purchase. Its name is “Origin Premiere”.
The Origin Basic tier grants you 10% discount when purchasing new EA games, access to the Vault and Early Trial access to their new games. With the Premiere Subscription tier you get The Vault and the discount as well, but also receive Full Access to many the EA games, for as long as you remain a Premiere member.
What you get with EA Origin Basic ($3.99 per month or $24.99 per year)
- the chance to try out EA’s new games for up to ten hours, starting five days before release, with Play First Trials
- access to The Vault, a library of games that grows in time.
- the 10% discount in the Origin Store on full games, pre-orders, expansions, FIFA points
What you get with EA Origin Premiere ($14.99 per month or $99.99 per year)
- full, unlimited access to EA’s games, starting five days before they release. Play the full game starting five days before launch without purchasing it separately, until you cancel your Premier membership.
- access to The Vault, a library of games that grows in time.
- the same 10% discount in the Origin Store on full games, pre-orders, expansions, FIFA points
The number of games available in the Vault, as you have noticed in the image above, may also be slightly different between the two plans. At the time of writing this, there are 122 titles available for the Basic and 128 for the Premiere.
In case you are wondering, yes, EA’s newest and hottest titles – Anthem, Battlefield and FIFA will be available for you to download and play without purchasing them separately if you are on the Premier tier and for as long as you remain a subscriber. The games from The Vault are also only available while you are a paid subscriber.
If you are currently on the Basic tier, you can upgrade your plan to Premiere at any time. The time you have left on your subscription, will be converted to a dollar amount and will automatically be refunded to you.
Frequently Asked Questions for Origin Basic vs Premiere
(source linked at the bottom of the article)
What is Origin Access?
Glad you asked! Origin Access is a PC gaming subscription. Membership unlocks The Vault, a growing collection of great PC games you can download and play as much as you want. Plus, members get to try new EA games before they’re released at no extra cost, and score an automatic 10% discount on Origin purchases, including full games, pre-orders, DLC, and FIFA points.
What is Origin Access Premier?
Origin Access Premier is a new membership tier that gives you unlimited access to the latest and greatest EA games before anyone else. Imagine paying one low monthly or annual fee and getting to play new EA PC titles before launch. Not a Play First Trial, you get access to the full game – yours to play whenever you want for as long as you’re a Premier member. No gates – no barriers. That’s the Premier experience.
What about current memberships?
The current tier of Origin Access will become Origin Access Basic memberships. If you’ve already got Origin Access, your membership won’t change unless you upgrade. You’ll still get the same benefits you currently have, for the same price.
How do I join Origin Access?
Simple – all you need to do is sign up. Just follow the on-screen instructions and you’ll be ready to play in no time.
How do I cancel my Origin Access membership?
Cancelling your Origin Access membership is quick and easy with your EA Account. (By the way, should you rejoin, all your games will be waiting for you, right where you left off). You can cancel from either the Origin Client or Origin.com.
From the Origin Client:
- Sign in to Origin.
- Click “Origin” in the top menu and then click “EA Account and Billing”.
- Select “Origin Access”.
- Click “Cancel Membership” under Payment & Billing information.
From Origin.com:
- Sign in to Origin.com
- Click on your profile name in the bottom left corner of the screen.
- Select “EA Account and Billing”.
- Select “Origin Access”.
- Click “Cancel Membership” under Payment & Billing information.
What if I want to cancel Origin Access before my membership ends?
If you cancel your membership prior to your next monthly or annual billing date, you won’t be charged for the following month or year. You’ll be able to continue to play Vault games, use your discount and jump into any available Play First Trials until your membership expires. Please note there are no refunds for either monthly or yearly membership fees regardless of when you cancel.
What’s The Vault?
The Vault is a growing collection of great PC games included in your membership. We’re talking full versions, yours to play as much as you want. Plus, more games are added over time. The Vault is awesome now. It’s getting even… awesomer. See all Vault games.
Does The Vault include third party games?
Yes! You’ll be able to play select games from other publishers with your Origin Access membership – and we plan on adding more over time, so your Origin Access library will keep on growing. Check out the full list of Vault games.
Why do games in The Vault vary from country to country?
Short answer: different countries have different rules about what games can be sold or made available. The result: what you see in The Vault may vary slightly by locale.
What are Play First Trials? Will my progress carry over?
Play First Trials let you download and play upcoming EA games before they’re released for a limited time. Yep – that’s right, you’ll be the first to play EA’s latest and greatest with an Origin Access membership. And because you’re playing the real game, not a demo, your progress will carry over, so you can pick up where you left off if you decide to purchase the game. See current and upcoming Play First Trials.
What’s the difference between a demo and a Play First Trial?
Demos: Stand-alone chunks of a game designed to give players a taste of what it offers. Play First Trials: The real game, yours to play before it’s released (for a limited time). These are exclusive to Origin Access members. If you purchase the game once it’s out, your stats and progress carry over.
What can I use my member discount on?
As a member of Origin Access, you’ll score an automatic 10% discount on purchases from Origin.com, including new releases and pre-orders. Ditto for expansions, game packs, points, you name it. Please note: to receive the discount, the purchase must be made via Origin.
Do I need to be connected to the internet to play games with my Origin Access membership?
For Play First Trials, you’ll need an Internet connection. You can play some Vault games offline, but you’ll need to periodically reconnect to Origin to verify that you’re still a member.
Can I play Origin Access games on PC and Mac?
Origin Access is only available on PC. Vault games and Play First Trials cannot be played on a Mac.
I encountered an error while playing a classic title. What gives?
We love classic games and we’re committed to bringing them to Origin Access. Because technology changes so much over the years (floppy disks, anyone?), playing older games on newer systems can sometimes lead to errors. Have more questions? Please contact Customer Experience.
What payment methods can I use to purchase an Origin Access membership?
We currently accept credit cards and PayPal.
Can I purchase an Origin Access membership at a physical retail store?
Origin Access memberships are only available for purchase online.
To learn more about Origin Access, purchase a subscription, upgrade or cancel your current one, visit https://www.origin.com/irl/en-us/store/origin-access/.
