The gaming community received an exciting glimpse of the forthcoming Battlefield installment on Monday, along with some intriguing details about what players can anticipate.
“If you reflect on the height of Battlefield’s success, it lies within the Battlefield 3 and 4 era, characterized by its modernity. Our goal is to steer the franchise back to its roots and perfect that experience, then explore new directions from there. For many, including players and the development team, these were the glory days of Battlefield, though 1942 also holds that distinction.”
While only a limited view was provided through concept art shared with IGN, it depicts scenes filled with smoke and flames against a backdrop reminiscent of a European city. The art hints at potential aerial and naval combat, showcasing helicopters and ships in the distance.
This next chapter in the Battlefield series represents a considerable effort by EA, who has established a dedicated team within Motive Studio (known for the Dead Space remake) to focus solely on this title. Additionally, studios such as DICE, Criterion, and Ripple Effect (under Zampella’s supervision) are also contributing to the development. Zampella has yet to detail the specific elements that necessitate such extensive resources but emphasized that this installment will broaden the definition of what Battlefield can be.
In response to the backlash surrounding Battlefield 2042, which was criticized for a myriad of technical issues upon its launch in 2021, EA is keen to realign the franchise’s direction. The previous title featured sprawling maps and a specialist system that many felt turned the gameplay too closely into a hero shooter experience. Despite these challenges, the game found some footing and maintained a loyal player base through a series of updates, although it took over six months for the first significant patch to arrive.
For the upcoming game, the team seems committed to a more classic approach, reverting from the previous 128-player maps back to a 64-player format based on player feedback. This change aims to create more intimate and engaging rounds, reducing the feeling of aimlessly searching for opponents.
“Did increasing the player count to 128 enhance the fun? No—just boosting numbers isn’t a meaningful metric,” said Zampella. “What matters is creating smaller, well-crafted play spaces. Some of the previous maps have been excellent, and I can’t wait for players to experience what’s coming.”