Next Battlefield Game Will Lean On The Franchise’s Strong Past

Vince Zampella, the CEO of Respawn Entertainment, who is also helping steer the Battlefield franchise, dropped a few key details about the next Battlefield game. The next Battlefield will embrace a modern setting when the franchise was at its most popular.

“I mean, if you look back to the peak or the pinnacle of Battlefield, it’s that Battlefield 3… Battlefield 4 era where everything was modern,” says Zampella in a new interview with IGN. “And I think we have to get back to the core of what Battlefield is and do that amazingly well, and then we’ll see where it goes from there.”

The past three games in the franchise have shrugged off the popular modern setting for takes on World War I, World War II, and the near future. While Battlefield 1 and V are underrated entries into the franchise, Battlefield 2142 wasn’t what fans wanted. The shift from a traditional class system to specialists turned many fans away. And despite a slew of updates that helped fix many of the game’s initial problems, the community didn’t return. 

Zampella touched on Battlefield 2142 while reiterating a return to traditional Battlefield gameplay with the return of classes.

“So I wasn’t there for 2042,” he told IGN. “I don’t know what the rationale was, but for me, it’s like the team tried something new. 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.”

So, we’re getting a Battlefield set in the modern day with 64-player maps and a return to class-based gameplay. That checks off some of the most important features for long-time fans. I’m hoping for a return to more destructive environments. Give me a mix of Bad Company and Battlefield 4. 

I’m also curious to see what new stuff all the teams building the next Battlefield come up with. We know Battle Royale modes continue to be some of the biggest multiplayer games out there. Will the next Battlefield take another crack at it, or will they only be laser-focused on delivering a return to classic Battlefield gameplay?

Me? I would focus on delivering the best Battlefield game they can before diving into other modes. Go crazy with destruction and large-scale battles, and let those sell the game for you. Plus, EA already has Apex Legends, so I’m not sure if they would want to pull from that community. 

No news on a release date, but Zampella did hint at a community testing program coming in 2025 but didn’t specify if this was the usual beta testing period or something else.