Electronic Arts has shared the initial details for its untitled Battlefield game, including the game's first concept art. In an exclusive IGN interview, the publisher confirms that Battlefield will be returning to a modern setting.
"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," said Head of Respawn & Group GM for EA Studios Organization Vince Zampella about the game's return to a modern setting. "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. But I think for me, it's that peak of Battlefield-ness is in that Battlefield 3 and 4 days. So I think it's nostalgic for players, for me, for the teams even. Those are kind of the heyday...although I would say 1942 also."
EA is still keeping specific details under wraps, but a few hints can be deduced based on the concept art shared. As IGN notes, it looks like the image depicts a location somewhere in Europe. Also seemingly confirmed is ship-to-ship and helicopter combat, as well as natural disasters such as wildfires. IGN notes that the color scheme is reminiscent of 2013's Battlefield 4, which is one of the franchise's most popular titles to date.
Zampella touched on other important things like map size and player count, though he didn't offer any firm stance either way. It sounded like the team is leaning toward returning to 64-player maps as opposed to the 128-player maps that Battlefield 2042 introduced.
"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. We're testing everything around what's the most fun. So like you said, the maps, once they get to a certain scale, become different. It's a different play space, and I think you have to design around that. So 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."
Zampella also confirmed that Specialists won't be returning. While he acknowledged that you sometimes need to try new things, he admitted that it just didn't work, so the new Battlefield will return to Classes.
Battlefield 2042 was the last major release in the blockbuster shooter franchise. The game received mixed reviews with many criticizing its technical issues, lack of features, and changes to certain core gameplay elements. Although Battlefield 2042 did eventually find its footing, the game failed to meet the sales expectations of EA. Zampella is hoping that this newest game will be "good out of the gate."
EA hasn't announced when the next Battlefield game will be released. The game entered full production earlier this year and EA plans to launch a community program next year. The hope is that this will get the Battlefield community involved in the game's development early on so that EA can build the player trust back.