Electronic Arts has shared exciting news about the next Battlefield game, set in the modern era.
Previously, Battlefield took players to World War I, World War II, and even the future, but this time, it’s all about the present, according to an IGN report. The first concept art shows a European city with both land and sea elements and a fire blazing through a nearby forest. It looks like the classic Battlefield chaos we love.
The new Battlefield game will also drop features from Battlefield 2042 that fans didn’t enjoy. Battlefield 2042 allowed up to 128 players in a match, but many felt it made the game feel empty. So, the next game will have a player count closer to previous games, ensuring more action-packed battles.
“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,” said Vince Zampella, the Battlefield boss. “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.”
Fans also didn’t like the “Specialist” characters in Battlefield 2042, which replaced the traditional Class system. Zampella praised DICE for trying new things but confirmed that Specialists won’t return. “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.”
Fans appreciate when game developers listen to their feedback.
During the interview, Zampella mentioned that Battlefield and Call of Duty are competitors, but each offers unique experiences. “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. He also hinted that the new Battlefield game “has the possibility” to outsell Call of Duty.
Although it’s early in development, a report suggests the new Battlefield might arrive as soon as October 2025. Zampella added that EA plans to announce a testing program in 2025 to let fans try the game before its release.
“That’s kind of the core of what we have to do–get the community back on our side, get that trust back,” he emphasized. Whether this will be an open or closed beta, or something else entirely, remains to be seen.
