The Battlefield series isn't what it used to be, but EA aims to change that with today's announcement of Battlefield Labs. It's an initiative designed to get your hands on the next Battlefield game while it's still in development, which so far lacks an official name and release date. All we have is a quick 10-second clip of early-development gameplay that came attached to the Battlefield Labs trailer.
As explained in EA's press release, Battlefield Labs is expected to open up "in the coming weeks" for select players who sign up now at the Battlefield website. It looks like the first sessions are invite-only with servers in Europe and North America, but those limitations are expected to be expanded in the future.
While there have been similar initiatives for past Battlefield games, Battlefield Labs is looking like the most grandiose. First (and most importantly), the playtesting is occurring (assumedly) well before the game's launch. David Sirland, Producer at DICE, promises a lot more content than ever before. It's explained that everything from combat, destruction, maps, game modes, vehicles, gadgets, and new features will be included in the playtest for Labs invitees.
Why such an emphasis on player feedback?
The Battlefield Labs initiative probably doesn't come as much of a surprise for any fans of the series who have been keeping tabs on Battlefield news.
The most recent release, Battlefield 2042, launched in 2021 to lukewarm reviews (and I'm being overly positive when I say that). Windows Central's Brendan Lowry, in his Battlefield 2042 review, said:
"Electronic Arts and DICE have created a great foundation with Battlefield 2042, but for the game to succeed in the long term, improvements need to be made. I have high hopes that its latest will eventually blossom into one of the best PC games available, and maybe the Battlefield game of my dreams, but the launch offering leaves a lot to be desired."
Unfortunately, Lowry's wishes never came true. I gave 2042 a solid shot a couple of times, but always soon returned to older titles. 2042 never quite felt like a Battlefield game despite its name, instead chasing trends when it should have focused on what made its predecessors so popular.
Lately, I've been playing Battlefield 1, which holds up incredibly well for being nearly 10 years old.
While 2042's direct predecessor Battlefield V was a slick operation, a lack of content and support ultimately killed its appeal. Lately, I've been playing Battlefield 1, which holds up incredibly well for being nearly 10 years old.
I'm certainly not the only one playing Battlefield 1. A quick look at Steam charts — an incomplete player count due to the game's inclusion on Xbox Game Pass and Origin — has Battlefield 1 at just less than 24,000 PC players an hour ago. Battlefield 2042 has just less than 8,000. I think those numbers speak for themselves.
Sure, Battlefield 1 costs about as much as a cup of coffee on Steam with the current discount which explains some of the player count, but I'll argue in favor of the atmospheric and haunting WWI-themed title until I lose my voice. If you don't snag the current Steam deal, I urge you to check out the CDKeys Battlefield 1 page for everyday discounts.
Battlefield Studios is a new collective name for the development team
Also announced with Battlefield Labs is a studio restructuring. Modern Battlefield games are a joint venture by DICE, Criterion, Ripple Effect, and Motive, and their collective going forward is now called Battlefield Studios.
DICE remains the studio section in charge of multiplayer gameplay. As explained in the video I posted above, this includes things like destruction systems, classes, squads, vehicles, gadgets, and everything else that sets Battlefield apart from other mainstream shooters.
Motive is focused on creating the next game's multiplayer maps, but — this might come as a surprise — it's also working on singleplayer missions. Yes, it looks like a campaign is returning for the next title.
Ripple Effect is said to be "working on an experience that is really going to open Battlefield up to a whole group of new players, but really still exciting that core audience that has made this franchise so successful." What exactly that entails remains to be seen.
And finally, Criterion's 10 years of working on Battlefield titles has earned the studio a role in shaping the singleplayer campaign. If you're curious about what Criterion Games is doing with the Need for Speed franchise, a statement from Battlefield head Vince Zampella to Eurogamer clears things up. Zampella states that while the Criterion team is for now busy with the next Battlefield title, it plans to "bring the franchise back in new and interesting ways."
Can Battlefield 6 fare better than its predecessor?
Rebecka Coutaz, General Manager of Criterion & DICE, states in the Battlefield Labs trailer:
"We have never before had this many teams and talents dedicated to the development of Battlefield, and we have a plan to create a new exciting future for the franchise, alongside our players."
While it all sounds good, this is a situation I've seen play out before. Whether or not adding more developers can save the franchise remains to be seen, but I certainly can't knock the new Labs initiative. Battlefield 2042 suffered due to odd decisions that didn't align with player interests, so fixing that is certainly a step in the right direction.
As a longtime fan of the Battlefield franchise and someone who still frequently plays the older games, I think I can speak for everyone in saying that I hope this is a win.
