As far as FPS franchises go, it’s hard to disputeBattlefieldas one of the goliaths. While it lacks the same level of success as theCall of Dutyfranchise,Battlefieldhas consistently delivered big, bold matches for fans that want something just a little bit more complex than the typical run and gun gameplay. But if ever there was a time forBattlefield 6to see the franchise’s return to a modern setting, it’s now.
Battlefield 6is confirmed for the PS5 and Xbox Series X, making the game an inevitability. While fans have long awaited a return toBad Company,at this pointBad Company 3is beginning to feel more like a pipe dream than a possibility. But, that doesn’t mean that EA has to avoid the modern setting entirely.Battlefield 3is still considered one of the best entries in the franchise to this day, and there are plenty of fans that would welcome a remaster of the game.
RELATED:New Battlefield 5 Easter Egg Summons Crab Rave
For various reasons,Battlefield 5didn’t meet EA’s sales expectations. While there are a number of factors that lead to that result, it’s fair to say that fatigue for the World War setting has taken over.Battlefield 1released towards the end of 2016, andBattlefield 5two years after that in 2018. For the past few years,Battlefieldfans have been caught in the two World Wars, and while they brought different maps, weapons, and vehicles, for the mainstream audience the setting itself simply isn’t different enough. That presents a fundamental problem for EA and developer DICE.Battlefield 5could introduce a mountain of brand-new maps, but the player base will still feel like they’ve played it before.
Staying in the past would likely be a death sentence forBattlefield 6.Ultimately, that leaves two possibilities: the present and the future. But a future setting may be just as unappealing as another game set in the past.Call of Duty,still seemingly the arbiter for what’s “in” in the games industry just did that withBlack Ops 4. With Treyarch reportedly taking the lead for the nextCall of Dutygame, there’s a good chance thatBlack Ops 5may be the next entry in the franchise, which may mean yet anotherCall of Dutyset in the future.
Battlefield 6is a next-gen game with a next-gen release date, with the game planned to launch sometime in the fiscal year 2022. That narrows it down to a launch window between October 2021 to September 2022. Traditionally,Battlefieldreleases in the fall with many of the year’s other heavy-hitters, so, a fall 2021 release date seems like the most likely possibility. That meansBattlefield 6won’t be competing with the nextCall of Duty,it will exist in the wake of it and compete with the entry after that, which will presumably be from Sledgehammer games. The typicalCall of Dutydeveloper rotation has become a bit jumbled lately, as Sledgehammer’s nextCall of Dutyhas reportedly had a troubled development cycle.
For EA, puttingBattlefieldback into a modern setting may also prove to be a way to win back some fans. Leading up to thereveal ofBattlefield 5,there was a large part of the fanbase hoping for a game set in modern times. This is in large part due to the freedom it carries with it. There tends to be a larger, more diverse arsenal of weapons to play around with, not to mention a better selection of boats, tanks, fighter jets, and helicopters, all of which lead to combat that feels like it’s happening on a much grander scale.
TheBattlefieldfranchise has evolved quite a bit since the last entry in a modern setting. Loot boxes, season passes, and changes to DLC structure have all brought major shifts in the video game industry– shifts thatBattlefield 6will inevitably have to navigate. While there are plenty of things fans want EA toinclude inBattlefield 6, there also needs to be a feeling of refinement for the aspects of the franchise that haven’t been working. Modern settings have been explored in-depth in the past byBattlefield, which should give EA a better sense of what its fans want in terms of content.
RELATED:Battlefield 5 Dev Teasing Dinosaurs
For now, players are going to have to stick withBattlefield 5,whether they enjoy the World War 2 setting or not. There’s still quite a bit of time untilBattlefield 6is ready to go, though it will likely be the product of market shifts between now and when it actually launches. It’s fair to assume that the development of the game is already well underway, and with the last two games taking place in the past, there’s a good chance that players will return to a modern setting.
Without a doubt, it’ll be interesting to see where theBattlefieldfranchise goes next. There are plenty of possibilities as to what the next entry will look like, but another modern game feels like a good way to kick off the next generation ofBattlefieldgames. There’s been an incredibly long period of growth for the franchise, and while it’s had its ups and downs, it seems like it may soon be headed in the right direction. Only time will tell, but fans should have something to look forward to on the horizon. It may be a bit before fans actually learn what that is, but, hopefully, it’s something they’ve been waiting for.
Battlefield 6is currently in development for PS5 and Xbox Series X.
