New Battlefield Game Takes Modern Approach, Ditches Divisive Features

A Fresh Start for the Franchise

Electronic Arts has unveiled the next installment in the Battlefield series, and it’s taking a bold step forward by setting the game in modern times. This move marks a significant departure from the World War I, World War II, and futuristic settings of previous games. The first concept art (see below) offers a glimpse into the chaos and destruction that players can expect from the game.

Back to Basics

The new Battlefield game is also ditching some of the features that fans didn’t enjoy in Battlefield 2042, including the 128-player matches that felt empty. According to Battlefield boss Vince Zampella, the game will settle on a more traditional 64-player scale, which is “more akin” to what past Battlefield games offered.

“Yeah, the 128-player, did it make it more fun? Like…doing the number for the sake of the number doesn’t make any sense,” Zampella said. “We’re testing everything around what’s the most fun. We are designing something that is more akin to previous Battlefields. I’d rather have nice, dense, really nice, well-designed play spaces. Some of them are really good. I can’t wait for you to see some of them.”

A New Direction for Specialists

Fans were also vocal about the “Specialist” characters in Battlefield 2042, which replaced the traditional Class system. While Zampella applauded DICE for trying something new, he stressed that Specialists won’t be making a return. Instead, the game will go back to the core Class system that fans love.

“I wasn’t there for 2042. I don’t know what the rationale was, but for me, it’s like the team tried something new,” he said. “You have to applaud that effort. Not everybody liked it, but you got to try things. It didn’t work. It didn’t fit. Specialist will not be coming back. So classes are kind of at the core of Battlefield, and we’re going back to that.”

A Competitor, Not a Foe

In an interview, Zampella emphasized that while Call of Duty is a competitor to Battlefield, he sees both franchises as offering something distinct to their fanbases. He stressed that EA is not looking to take down Call of Duty, but rather make a game that’s unique and authentic to the Battlefield brand.

“We’re not looking to take down Call of Duty. We’re making something that’s different and we’re making something that’s us,” he said, acknowledging that this new Battlefield game “has the possibility” to outsell Call of Duty.

What’s Next?

It’s still early days for the new Battlefield game, but EA has announced plans to release a testing program in 2025, which will invite fans to try the game before its official launch. This move is aimed at rebuilding trust with the community and ensuring that the game meets fan expectations.

“That’s kind of the core of what we have to do–get the community back on our side, get that trust back,” Zampella said. Whether this testing program will be open or closed, or a different type of test, remains to be seen.