It’s been a tough few years for theBattlefieldcommunity.Battlefield Vwasn’t really the historical military shooter fans were hoping for, andBattlefield 2042infamously fumbled the bag on launch with its lack of content, technical issues, and drastic changes to staple features and systems. ButBattlefieldisn’t out for the count just yet.
Over the last few months, EA has made a few statements confirming thatthe nextBattlefieldgameis in development, announcing that Motive, DICE, Criterion, and Ripple Effect are all working on the project together. On September 16, IGN’s Kat Bailey posted an interview with Respawn head and General Manager for EA Studios Organization, Vince Zampella, in which the first details of the newBattlefieldgame were teased, and there’s already enough there to get fans ofBattlefield 3and4excited.
The Next Battlefield Is Catering Directly to Fans of Battlefield 3 and 4
Battlefield Is Returning to a Modern Setting
Very early on inKat Bailey’s IGN report, it’s confirmed that the nextBattlefieldgame is returning to a modern setting, as opposed to the historical settings of titles likeBattlefield 1andV, or the near-future setting ofBattlefield 2042. In response to being asked about the decision to return to a modern setting for the nextBattlefieldentry, Vince Zampella states, “if you look back to the peak or the pinnacle ofBattlefield, it’s thatBattlefield 3…Battlefield 4era where everything was modern.” Zampella then says, “we have to get back to the core of whatBattlefieldis.”
These comments make it clear from the get-go that the developers behind the nextBattlefieldknow what type of experience long-time fans of the series want from the upcoming entry. And that’s something that’s only made increasingly apparent as IGN’s interview with Zampella continues.
Battlefield Is Going Back to Basics With Maps
This new IGN report also confirmed thatBattlefield 2042’s 128-player mapswill not be returning for the franchise’s next entry. Instead, Zampella mentions, “we are designing something that is more akin to previousBattlefields,” and that he’d, “rather have nice, dense…well-designed play spaces.” This isn’t a full confirmation that 64-player maps are returning toBattlefield, but it is heavily implied through Zampella’s comments.
The Next Battlefield is Bringing Back Classes
Anothermajor criticism ofBattlefield 2042was its Specialist system, which some fans argued made the game feel more like a hero shooter than a military FPS. This is another feature that IGN confirmed will not be returning in the nextBattlefieldgame, with Zampella stating, “Specialist will not be coming back. So classes are kind of at the core ofBattlefield, and we’re going back to that.” Classes have been in theBattlefieldfranchise since its very debut in 2002; as Zampella says, they’ve always been a core aspect of the franchise’s identity and what set it apart from fellow military shooters.
The Next Battlefield Will Start Community Testing Next Year
One last detail in IGN’s recentBattlefieldreport that’s important to note is that EA will be introducing some kind of community testing for the game in 2025. Zampella sheds more light on this in the report, saying, “We have a program that we’re going to announce next year around getting more community in, because that’s kind of the core of what we have to do — get the community back on our side, get that trust back.”
Based on these comments, it seems as thoughBattlefield’s developersare fully aware of the reasons fans were disappointed withBattlefield 2042, and in an attempt to regain their trust, the nextBattlefieldentry is taking the franchise back to the drawing board and only putting a pin in things that have always worked.
Battlefield 3
WHERE TO PLAY
Battlefield 3 leaps ahead of the competition with the power of Frostbite™ 2, the next installment of DICE’s cutting-edge game engine. This state-of-the-art technology is the foundation on which Battlefield 3 is built, delivering superior visual quality, a grand sense of scale, massive destruction, dynamic audio and incredibly lifelike character animations. As bullets whiz by, walls crumble, and explosions throw you to the ground, the battlefield feels more alive and interactive than ever before. In Battlefield 3, players step into the role of the elite U.S. Marines where they will experience heart-pounding single player missions and competitive multiplayer actions ranging across diverse locations from around the globe including Paris, Tehran and New York.
