During the “Conference Call” on 29.10., EA executives confirmed among other things the release of a major Battlefield title in the fiscal year 2022. When could the new Battlefield be released, what could it look like and what do players wish for?
What is the “Conference Call”? EA holds a conference call every three months for a selected audience of journalists and qualified stakeholders.
With these events, EA aims to inform about its future and past work, allowing outsiders to gain insights into the company’s development.
With the Q2 conference in the fiscal year (EA’s fiscal year starts on April 1), EA provided attentive listeners with exciting information. Among other things, it was about the popular sports games, which have performed very well with their live service components.
The Battlefield franchise was also discussed and a possible continuation within the next year 2020 was ruled out.
Battlefield 6 with release in at least 1.5 years
When will the new Battlefield be released? In a conversation, Andrew Wilson, CEO and head of EA, stated that the new Battlefield will be released in the fiscal year 2022 (April 2021 – March 2022). Looking at the recent release dates of major Battlefield titles, a pattern emerges that suggests fall 2021.
Release dates of Battlefield
- October 25, 2011 – Battlefield 3
- October 29, 2013 – Battlefield 4
- October 21, 2016 – Battlefield 1
- November 9, 2018 – Battlefield 5
A release in late October/early November 2021 therefore seems very likely. External observers had assumed that the release of a new Battlefield would come sooner.
Next-Gen consoles need to mature
Why is Battlefield coming later than expected? Wilson mentioned that EA focuses on the successful Apex Legends in the shooter area next year and wants to give the next-gen consoles, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Scarlett, at least 2 years to develop properly – both technically and in terms of player numbers.
Battlefield 6 aims to deliver innovative experiences
Will the new Battlefield be different in any way? EA team captain Wilson also spoke about this. He said they want to take Battlefield to the next level, making it the “cutting edge” of shooters of this time and pursue innovative paths.
For EA, this means:
- New exciting multiplayer modes
- Battlefield as a live-service game
- New social elements
It is supposed to be the most modern and best shooter on the market. To achieve this, they want to introduce entirely new multiplayer experiences and enhance the social components of the game. However, such phrases are often used for a game whose release is still a long way off. There are still no concrete plans.
Battlefield possibly with FIFA elements
What could a BF service game look like? EA will try to transfer the successful concept of live services from their sports games, like FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT), to the Battlefield concept.
In FUT, not only the team building is central but also the competitive aspect. There are weekly PvP tournaments with strong rewards, as well as goals and tasks that are achievable for the average player and offer decent prizes.
How EA plans to apply its successful concept to the Battlefield franchise will be exciting to see. Weekly tournaments and official community events of all kinds will certainly be something players will want to try out.
However, such services will likely not come without microtransactions, raising the question of pay-to-win again. It is to be hoped that the experiences with Battlefront 2 left an impression.
Players wish for something modern again
What do players say about this? The community is initially interested in the setting of the game. After the first info about Battlefield 6 became known, EA was immediately presented with the wishes of the users unsolicited.
Hopefully there won’t be the same problems at launch that we had with the last releases. I look forward to the presentation of a modern Battlefield in the form of Bad Company 3 or completely Sci-Fi with 2143.
kamakeeg on reddit (translated)
Sounds good! BF5 is actually really good now and with one or two more years, the rest of WW2 like the Russians, etc. – plus Bad Company 3 has more time to do it right.
Doncabesa on Twitter (translated)
With the new title, many expect a return to modern times, if not even beyond. A continuation of the popular “Bad Company” series is something many can imagine, but the Sci-Fi setting of Battlefield 2142 is also on the wish list.
This is great news for everyone hoping that BF5 will eventually become the epic, WW2-spanning continuation of BF1942. […]
novauviolon on reddit (translated)
However, there were also some voices that pondered the effects for the current Battlefield 5. As the game is still supported for at least another 1.5 years, they hope for more breathtaking landscapes and good development in the coming months.
Battlefield 5 – New maps coming tomorrow
How is Battlefield 5 doing? The hope that this positive development will set in also depends on the release of the Pacific maps tomorrow, on 31.10.
Chapter 5 of Battlefield 5 brings a lot of free new content and comes with familiar and desired maps. If the maps work and are well received, things may not be that bad for BF5.
