It is no secret that 2021’s Battlefield 2042 was not the success that EA and developer DICE hoped for. Although the game was the No. 5 best-selling title in the US during 2021, it was a disappointment commercially for EA and fans didn’t have the best things to say about it either. With Battlefield 6 coming this October, producer Alexia Christofi said in an interview that the struggles of Battlefield 2042 helped shape Battlefield 6.
“We learned so much from 2042. We took so many learnings from that, and while it strayed from what people found core to Battlefield, it meant that it was very clear and easy for people to vocalize the things that 2042 was not, and what we need to make sure Battlefield 6 is,” Christofi told Well-Played.
Another producer, David Sirland, said the studio spent a lot of time thinking about the core pillars of Battlefield–destruction, classes, and vehicles–and designing Battlefield 6 in service to those.
Christofi said it was important to define what Battlefield’s core tenets were and Sirland said it was also important to nail down what they are not.
“We needed to define that clearly, because that guides us for a long time, like 10-plus years, or whatever. It should be that stringent. Sure, you can amend it and change it, but everyone on the team should be able to feel that and be like, ‘Okay, I know what we’re doing,'” he said. “So, when I get a new idea, does it fit? Yes, cool. It’s not like it tells exactly what to do, but it should tell you the lane to stay within. I think that is what’s needed. Because I think that maybe, if anything, for 2042, that wasn’t super clear, right, especially not over time. It was more of a reaction to something that didn’t work and we changed it as fast as possible.”
In 2022, DICE general manager Rebecka Coutaz reacted to Battlefield 2042’s poor launch, saying, “Everybody was disappointed.” Following the game’s release. DICE shuffled its top leaders, with former GM Oskar Gabrielson leaving the studio and other major changes in a big shakeup.
EA also created a new label, Battlefield Studios, to oversee the development of the brand. DICE, Criterion, Ripple Effect, and Motive all work under Battlefield Studios. The former general manager of Call of Duty–Byron Beede–is now the general manager of Battlefield. The future of Battlefield is also being developed under the leadership of EA executive Vince Zampella, a former Call of Duty boss as well.
So far, EA appears to be saying and doing the right things with Battlefield 6 to help win fans back, but only time will tell if the game can stick the landing and find a place in an ultra-competitive marketplace. Beyond Battlefield 6’s multiplayer and campaign, a new battle royale experience is in the works as well.
The Battlefield 6 open beta begins August 7 for a limited group of people before expanding more widely later in August. The full game, meanwhile, launches October 10 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.