TheBattlefieldseries is one of the most iconic FPS franchises in gaming, but despite its prestige, it doesn’t have a perfect track record. Although there’s plenty of debate about what the bestBattlefieldgame is, most fans would agree that it isn’t one of the most recent entries, with 2016’sBattlefield 1being the last title to achieve widespread acclaim. 2021’sBattlefield 2042has been the subject of extensive criticism, leaving the current status of the series in the realm of largely negative public perception.
It might not be too late to turnBattlefieldaround, however, and the next game could be the defining moment for the future of the franchise. While many details about what the nextBattlefieldwill entail remain elusive, publisher EA recently revealed some core information that helps paint a clearer picture of what to expect, and some promises indicate a move in the right direction.
The Next Battlefield Will Be A Major Studio Team-Up
Four Teams Are Focusing On Distinct Aspects
ABattlefieldpresentation at EA’s Investor Day revealed thatthe next game is being developed by four different studios, an audacious move summarized in a Tweet fromBattlefield Bulletin. The concept could bring both benefits and drawbacks to the table, but the main thing that’s exciting about the concept is that each studio is focusing on an aspect of the game suited to its respective strengths.
TraditionalBattlefielddeveloper DICE will focus on multiplayer, meaning that the team’s attention won’t be as divided as before. Motive, which previouslyhandled theDead Spaceremakeand the surprisingly solid single-player component of EA’sStar Wars Battlefront 2, is taking the lead on the storytelling for the campaign. Criterion Games is helping out across the board, and Ripple Effect is working on a “new Battlefieldexperience,” the details of which haven’t yet been clarified.
Strong Studios Don’t Guarantee Battlefield’s Success
It’s not the first time that other studios have assisted in making aBattlefieldgame, and credits for Criterion Games and Ripple Effect onBattlefield 2042are enough to prove that their involvement doesn’t guarantee the game’s success. The new effort does feel more organized, however, and could hopefully let each studio bring more of a voice to the game. Bringing together a coherent vision across different teams can still be challenging, so how well everything synchronizes remains to be seen.
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There’s already a turbulent history behind the work being done on the future ofBattlefield. A new studio called Ridgeline Games led byHaloco-creator Marcus Lehto was announced in 2022 with the intention of working on a newBattlefieldnarrative, but Lehto left in early 2024 and the studio’s closure was announced shortly after. Although it’s impossible to know the exact situation between the studio’s dissolution, it seems like an unfortunate setback for futureBattlefieldgames regardless.
At any rate,it’s nice to have a team focusing on the single-player campaign, asBattlefield 2042skipped this componententirely. Although online services are obviously the top billing, the cinematic presentation and dynamic moments that theBattlefieldseries facilitates have always shone in single-player. Ideally, the new campaign should be less disjointed than the weaker single-player offerings.
Maps will also be sticking to the classic 64-player formula, whichBattlefield 2042disrupted with 128-player lobbies before re-introducing the standard concept.
IGNrevealed that the nextBattlefieldwill take place in a modern setting, which EA’s Vince Zampella is billing as a return to form for the series. Hearkening back toBattlefield 3and4, Zampella refers to the games with contemporary settings as “the peak or the pinnacle of Battlefield.” There’s plenty of room to argue about what time period works best forBattlefield, but it does open up both some interesting opportunities and challenges for storytelling, re-grounding things compared toBattlefield2042’s approach.
Battlefield Has Both Challenges & Opportunities Ahead
A Strong New Entry Could Gain A Following
From any angle,Battlefieldstill has something of an uphill battle if the series wants to reclaim its past glory. In a saturated live-service market, series fans who bounced off ofBattlefield 2042likely have plenty of other games to play. The slower release schedule compared to competitorCall of Dutyalso defines the failure ofBattlefield 2042as a bigger blow to momentum, although there’s always a chance that the wait will help re-energize players for a new game if it proves to be good.
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The biggest thing that the nextBattlefieldgame has going for it is the lingering fondness for older games in the series.It’s still easy to find populated servers inBattlefield 4, 1,and5,and despite2042’s disappointing reception, an online community for the game remains reasonably active. More than anything, it’s simply important that the newBattlefieldactually manages to restore some degree of faith in the IP, as there are definitely people willing to play a compellingBattlefieldexperience.
Playing things completely safe doesn’t drive excitement, however, and Zampella is also promising somenew elements outside the core gameplay concepts. At the moment, those are being described vaguely as opportunities to “experience more things within the Battlefield universe.” It’s difficult to imagine what could be so exciting — Ripple Effect’s mysterious contribution to the game is likely a big part of this — but hopefully it’s something that’s genuinely thrilling for players and not just enticing to investors.
Even if the essentials end up being in place, there’s still a lot of room forBattlefieldto go wrong. Aggressive microtransactions, extensive bugs, and server issues are all factors that could serve to ruin the fun found in strong gameplay concepts, and EA’s history in these regards is far from perfect. IfBattlefieldgets everything right, however, it stands to reason that2042’s infamous legacy will be relegated to an unfortunate but temporary stain on the series rather than a definining element.
