According to a media report, things don’t look good for Battlefield 6. While EA is betting on high player numbers, it seems that the developers at DICE are more concerned with creating a good game, but right now things are not going well.
What is this report about? An insider involved in the development of Battlefield 6 reached out to arstechnica.com and spoke about the difficult conditions. According to him, things are really not going well for the new Battlefield.
He reports of massive stress and burnout among the staff due to high pressure. There are long working hours, also because people have to work early in the morning and late at night due to various time zones.
According to him, the single-player campaign was supposed to come from the studio Ridgeline Games, which was shut down in February 2024. The work was then simply divided among the other studios and is currently behind schedule by two years.
Here you can see what is currently being tested in Battlefield:
400 million US dollars for 100 million players
What does EA expect from Battlefield 6? According to the report, EA has invested 400 million US dollars in the development of Battlefield 6. A record budget for Battlefield. But with the budget come high expectations. The internal goal is said to be to reach 100 million players.
In comparison, the insider states that Battlefield 2042 has reached about 22 million players, and the most successful Battlefield had around 30 million players. The player numbers are supposed to be achieved mainly through a free battle royale mode, similar to how Call of Duty succeeded with Warzone years ago.
The goals are more than ambitious. Not only does the insider himself find so, but also most of his colleagues, as he says. Only a few really believe that it is possible to reach 100 million players, even with a free battle royale.
There is also contention about this: According to the insider, there is significant tension between the Swedish Battlefield veterans at DICE and the parent company from the USA. While DICE insists on creating a good game and believes that this is the only way to achieve success, the project managers appointed by EA seem to be more concerned with numbers than with good features.
The internal problems are not limited to the work environment and budget. The report from arstechnica.com also reveals a chaotic process. EA uses a system of milestones that projects must achieve. However, for Battlefield 6, these phases were apparently approved, even though important requirements were not met.
Although the insider reports negatively about the development of Battlefield 6, the shooter does not have to be a bad game. If you want to help with the development, you can try out Battlefield Labs: Battlefield Labs Registration – How to participate in the new playtest
