Battlefield 2025 Rumors and Leaks
Table of Contents
The Battlefield franchise has been traversing a turbulent path for some time now, with the impending release of the next Battlefield game already in a tricky predicament.
Key Points
- Despite its unique appeal of larger scale matches and emphasis on online multiplayer, Battlefield has encountered several hurdles that have complicated the selection of a new context for the upcoming game.
- Historically themed Battlefield games don’t typically achieve the same sales success as their modern-day counterparts, making it unlikely that the next installment will focus on a bygone era of warfare.
- The lackluster launch of Battlefield 2042 has somewhat marred the image of modern games, plunging the future installment into a difficult situation.
Setting Battlefield Apart
The Battlefield franchise debuted just a year after Call of Duty, carving out a distinctive niche for itself in 2002. Thanks to its larger-scale matches and emphasis on online multiplayer, it was a fairly innovative approach at the time. Whereas Call of Duty and its rivals offered fast-paced campaigns and online death matches limited to approximately 10 players, Battlefield introduced full-scale warzones, where up to 64 players could engage in a colossal arena, employing their strategies to achieve victory.
However, despite this unique approach keeping Battlefield afloat for over a decade, the franchise encountered a series of significant challenges in quick succession. First, it was the unfavorable reception to the hastily released Battlefield Hardline in 2015, followed by Battlefield 5’s pre-release controversies and its subsequent disappointing launch in 2018. The most recent setback was the dismal release of Battlefield 2042. Despite these hurdles, the Battlefield franchise is far from defeated, although the upcoming installment faces the daunting task of selecting the right context.
A Difficult Decision for the Next Battlefield Game
The Battlefield franchise initially made its mark as a historical shooter, with its first two releases transporting players back to WW2 and Vietnam. The franchise shifted its focus to a modern-day context only in 2005 with the launch of Battlefield 2, which remained the franchise’s focus for an entire decade. The next mainline Battlefield game to adopt a historical setting was 2016’s Battlefield 1, a game that has only gained more popularity over time.
Despite Battlefield 1 being one of the most appreciated installments in franchise history, its sales didn’t quite match the franchise’s best-selling games. Officially, Battlefield 1 sold a total of 15 million units, impressive but still less than Battlefield 3’s 17 million. Battlefield 5 couldn’t keep up the momentum, with sales totaling only 7.3 million copies by 2019. This evidence suggests that Battlefield’s historical games, even when well-executed, don’t sell as well as their modern-day counterparts, putting the franchise in a predicament.
The Mixed Impact of Battlefield’s Modern Settings
While Battlefield generally performs better with a contemporary setting, the launch of Battlefield 2042 may have disrupted this long-standing pattern. Despite gradual improvements over the years, there’s no denying that Battlefield 2042’s initial release was a letdown. This has undoubtedly tarnished the franchise’s reputation, and it seems likely that the next Battlefield game will choose a different setting to distance itself from the recent disappointment, plunging the series into a deadlock.
In order to differentiate itself from the modern setting of Battlefield 2042, the upcoming game would need to revisit the past, but Battlefield’s most recent historical installment, Battlefield 5, was also a major disappointment. The Battlefield franchise is surrounded by disappointment from all sides, leaving only one option - to take a unique approach with its next entry. The best way to avoid comparisons to 2042 and V might be to set the game in a completely new era for the franchise, either delving deep into history with something like a Napoleonic Era entry or venturing into the far future, similar to the old Battlefield 2142 title.
A Brief Overview of Battlefield
Battlefield, owned by EA, is a series of first-person shooter games. The games have predominantly been set in the modern day, but there have also been titles set during World War 1, World War 2, and in the near future. The Battlefield franchise often draws comparisons to Call of Duty, with both franchises offering single-player campaigns and online multiplayer.
Conclusion
With the series’ recent entries struggling to find their footing, the next Battlefield game faces the monumental task of regaining the franchise’s lost glory. Whether it will revisit the past, venture into the future, or introduce an entirely new concept remains to be seen. Until then, fans and critics alike will eagerly anticipate the franchise’s next move, hoping for a return to the golden era of Battlefield gaming.