Electronic Arts’ Call of Duty rival Battlefield hasn’t been seen since the 2021 launch of the last installment in the first-person military shooter series. Battlefield 2042 has received backlash from players for its multiplayer “expert” system and lack of a single-player campaign. Nearly three years later, details have finally emerged for the next game in the long-running series, with EA confirming that the next Battlefield game will return to a modern setting.
IGN revealed on Tuesday that after exploring near-future settings in Battlefield 2042 and World War I and World War II in Battlefield 1 and Battlefield V, EA will return to a modern setting in the next Battlefield game. The company confirmed the details to the publication and released the game’s first concept art. However, EA has not provided details about the game’s official title or release schedule.
Next Battlefield will bring back professional, 64-player maps
EA’s purpose is to return to what it is good at. Vince Zampella, head of EA studio organization Respawn and group general manager, mentioned “Battlefield 3” and “Battlefield 4” in a conversation with IGN. “I mean, if you look back at the pinnacle or pinnacle of Battlefield, it was Battlefield 3… the Battlefield 4 era, where everything was modernized. I think we have to get back to the core of Battlefield and do it really well, and then we’ll see where it goes,” Zampella told the publication.
“But I think for me, the peak of Battlefield was Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4. So I think it’s very nostalgic for players, for me, and even for the team. It was kind of the heyday… although I would also say 1942.”
Zampella also talked about narrowing the focus on multiplayer maps in the next Battlefield game. Battlefield 2042 introduces the much-maligned 128-player map, replacing the popular 64-player online matches. However, the decision was not welcomed by the players. The game’s “expert” system, which replaced traditional professions with ability-based roles, also caused controversy. The executive said these unpopular choices won’t appear in the next Battlefield game.
“We’re testing around what’s most interesting. So like you said, once the map reaches a certain scale, it’s going to be different. It’s a different game space and I think you have to design around it. So we’re designing something a little more similar to previous Battlefields,” he said. “I’d rather have nice, dense, really nice, well-designed play spaces. Some of them are really nice. I can’t wait for you to see some of them,” Zampella added.
The executive confirmed that traditional classes will return in the next installment. “Not everyone likes it, but you have to try something. It doesn’t work. It doesn’t fit. The experts don’t come back,” he said. “So classes are the core of Battlefield, and we’ll get back to that.”
battlefield concept art
Official concept art for the next Battlefield game
Image source: EA/IGN
Several of EA’s internal studios are working on the next Battlefield game. There’s no release schedule for the shooter yet, but Zampella said EA will be “playtesting the game every week” and plans to launch a community program in 2025. A possible beta run would hint at a 2025 release date for the game.
EA has yet to reveal any gameplay details for its next flagship shooter, aside from a modern setting and the return of 64-player maps and traditional classes. However, concept art released on Tuesday hints at air and ship combat as well as coastal maps.
The official image looks like a densely populated European coastal city with wildfires or volcanic eruptions in the background, hinting at natural or man-made disasters present in the game. The image shows a heavily bombed city, and Battlefield’s signature environmental destruction may feature prominently in the upcoming game.