EA speaks for the first time about the next Battlefield: release date and theme

We all know that Battlefield 2042 was a real disaster at launch. Luckily for fans of the saga, the game gradually improved, becoming a really powerful game by the end of 2023. The change was such that the title reached its peak number of players two years after its release.

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In April 2024, when DICE announced that Battlefield 2042 was coming to an end in terms of new seasons and content, we published an in-depth article in this magazine discussing the game and reviewing its journey. Had Battlefield 2042 managed to be a good game?

We, in a few words, believe so. We are even confident that if the launch game had arrived a bit more polished, the title could have performed as well as the best installments of the saga.

Now, Vince Zampella, head of Respawn and general manager of EA Studios Organization, has spoken about the upcoming Battlefield and how EA is preparing to get it right from day 1 with this game. The information was published exclusively on IGN, which spoke with Zampella before the company’s investor day.

Battlefield will return to the origins of the saga

The first thing Vince Zampella said in the interview is that in this new Battlefield, the inspiration has been clear: Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4. No futuristic or historical war, it’s set on a contemporary battlefield.

“If you look back at the peak or pinnacle of Battlefield, you will see that it was Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4, where everything was modern. And I think we need to get back to the core of what Battlefield is and do it incredibly well, and then we’ll see where it takes us. But for me, the high point of Battlefield is in the days of Battlefield 3 and 4. So I think it’s nostalgic. For the players, for me, even for the teams,” says Zampella.

The return to a modern setting represents a course correction for the series after Battlefield 2042 (which only at the end of its days earned the forgiveness of the players).

What players do not forgive BF2042 for is the inclusion of specialists, characters that made it seem like Battlefield was trying to be a hero shooter. After Concord, we know there is no room for more games of this style.

For the next Battlefield, specialists will be a thing of the past. “I wasn’t in 2042. I don’t know what the reason was, but to me, it’s like the team tried something new. You have to applaud that effort. Not everyone liked it, but you have to try things. It didn’t work. It didn’t fit. Specialists won’t be coming back. So classes are the core of Battlefield, and we’re going back to them,” reassures Zampella.

And its ambitious maps for 128 players were also not well-received by fans, who preferred a more focused experience. Over time, Battlefield 2042 returned to offering 64 players per map, and the next Battlefield plans to maintain that approach.

“Yes, the 128 players, did it make it more fun? Doing the number for the number’s sake doesn’t make any sense. We are testing everything around what is more fun. So, as you said, the maps, once they reach a certain scale, become different. It’s a different play space, and I think you have to design around that. So we are designing something more akin to previous Battlefields,” says Zampella. “I prefer to have beautiful, dense, really beautiful, and well-designed play spaces. Some are really good. I can’t wait for you to see some of them.”

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It is not clear when the next Battlefield will go on sale, but there are indications that EA is preparing for 2025 after entering full production earlier this year.

According to Zampella on IGN, EA is “testing the game every week” and plans to launch a community program next year, although it is unclear whether it will be a closed beta or something else.