Can the upcoming Battlefield installment breathe new life into the franchise and re-establish its prominence in the shooter genre? EA is certainly betting on positive answers to those questions. They’ve been pulling out all the stops to make sure the series regains its footing.
Yet, a shaky launch could derail these hopes, appreciated only by the loyal fans who’ve stuck around for the long haul. As someone who has been a fan of Battlefield for years, I am rooting for it to succeed and am eager for a fresh shooter to dive into on the regular.
Details about the next Battlefield are scarce, with EA remaining tight-lipped about a potential release date in 2025. However, recent developments at their studios suggest that year seems most likely. EA aims to emulate the Call of Duty: Warzone model, with the main game possibly debuting in late 2025, followed by a free-to-play battle royale mode in early 2026.
There’s talk of some testing kicking off in early 2025, though it will probably be under strict NDAs. So, we might not glean much about the game’s direction from it. It’s expected to be set in the modern day and return to the series’ classic classes format.
While these pointers indicate EA is on the right track in gauging player preferences, they don’t assure us we’ll end up with a great game. However, the possibility of a well-crafted game is intriguing and has me eager to check it out.
Battlefield’s core elements can be found in other games—combined arms combat, unique classes, slower-paced gameplay, expansive maps, and even environmental destruction. But no other shooter marries these components quite like Battlefield does. The release of Delta Force only reaffirms that it’s not easy to replicate this formula.
Nevertheless, each Battlefield misfire diminishes its standing. We’ve all seen former Battlefield enthusiasts transition to other games, yet few would claim those alternatives completely satisfy the Battlefield craving. They offer just enough to keep you engaged without fully capturing the essence of “the next Battlefield.”
