The subsequent Battlefield recreation is anticipated to launch throughout EA’s fiscal yr 2026, the corporate stated at present.
Reporting its monetary outcomes for the third quarter of its present fiscal yr ending March 2025, EA stated the brand new Battlefield has an “anticipated fiscal yr 2026 launch.”
That means it’ll launch sooner or later between April 2025 and March 2026.
This week, EA launched a primary official take a look at the brand new Battlefield recreation as a part of an announcement round participant testing and its improvement set-up.
The transient glimpse at pre-alpha Battlefield gameplay got here as a part of a video revealing what EA calls Battlefield Labs, and an accompanying name to arms for playtesters.
“EA unveiled Battlefield Labs, a brand new initiative permitting player-driven testing and innovation forward of the franchise’s anticipated fiscal yr 2026 launch,” EA stated in its monetary report.
Meanwhile, EA revealed Battlefield Studios, the umbrella branding for the 4 studios it has engaged on the brand new Battlefield. These are the sequence’ principal Stockholm, Sweden-based developer, DICE, Dead Space remake and Star Wars: Squadrons developer Motive (which can also be engaged on an Iron Man recreation), U.S. studio Ripple Effect (previously often known as DICE LA), and UK studio Criterion, whose work on Need For Speed has now come to an finish.
DICE in Sweden is constructing the multiplayer for the brand new Battlefield. Motive is engaged on single-player missions and multiplayer maps. Ripple Effect is engaged on bringing in new gamers to the Battlefield franchise. And Criterion is engaged on the single-player marketing campaign.
EA stated its collective Battlefield Studios groups at the moment are getting into a “crucial” section of the event cycle, and wish participant suggestions on what to prioritize, enhance, and refine earlier than launch. To that finish, Battlefield Labs will see EA check virtually all the things however not all the things gamers see will likely be full. Participants must comply with a non-disclosure settlement (NDA) earlier than getting in.
“Even in pre-alpha, we’re pleased with the place the sport is at,” EA stated. “We tirelessly playtest, however your suggestions will supercharge our improvement as we attempt to hit that good observe between kind, perform, and really feel.
“This is an unprecedented second for Battlefield. We will begin by testing the pillars of play, like core fight and destruction. Then transition to steadiness and suggestions for our weapons, autos and devices, in the end resulting in the place all these items come collectively in our maps, modes, and squad play.
“And sure, we will likely be testing Conquest and Breakthrough, the center and soul of our all-out warfare expertise, however BF Labs may even be a spot to discover new concepts and fine-tune and enhance Battlefield pillars like our class system (Assault, Engineer, Support, and Recon) to create deeper extra strategic play.”
It’s value remembering that whereas EA is devoting 4 total studios to Battlefield, final yr it shut down Ridgeline Games, a Seattle-based developer that was engaged on a brand new supposedly standalone single-player Battlefield recreation with extra of a narrative focus, and laid off all its workers.
In September, EA revealed recent particulars on its untitled Battlefield recreation alongside its first idea artwork. IGN additionally confirmed that Battlefield will return to a contemporary setting after stints in World War I, World War II, and the close to future. The idea artwork instructed ship-to-ship and helicopter fight will likely be a part of the brand new recreation, and that it’ll function pure disasters like wildfires.
At the time, Vince Zampella, Head of Respawn & Group GM for EA Studios Organization, referenced Battlefield 3 and 4 in an interview with IGN. “I imply, when you look again to the height or the top of Battlefield, it is that Battlefield 3… Battlefield 4 period the place all the things was trendy,” he stated.
“And I believe we now have to get again to the core of what Battlefield is and do this amazingly properly, after which we’ll see the place it goes from there. But I believe for me, it is that peak of Battlefield-ness is in that Battlefield 3 and 4 days. So I believe it is nostalgic for gamers, for me, for the groups even. Those are form of the heyday… though I might say 1942 additionally.”
The return to the trendy setting represents a course correction for the sequence after Battlefield 2042, which finally discovered its footing however was in any other case extensively panned for options like Specialists — characters that made it appear as if Battlefield was attempting to be a hero shooter. Its bold 128-player maps additionally proved unpopular with followers who most popular a extra targeted expertise. Battlefield 2042 finally went again to supporting 64 gamers per map, and the following Battlefield plans to stay to that method. Specialists are additionally out this time round.
The strain on the following Battlefield is on after 2042’s missteps. EA CEO Andrew Wilson has referred to as it one of many “most bold tasks in [EA’s] historical past,” and primarily based on the sheer variety of studios concerned, it’s a major funding. The Battlefield Studios tagline is, “We’re all in on Battlefield.”
“Yeah, it is positively betting greater on Battlefield,” Zampella informed IGN within the interview from 2024. “It’s moving into and increasing what Battlefield is. We need to have the core. The core Battlefield gamers know what they need. They’ve been with us endlessly, they have been wonderful supporters. We have to earn their belief again and get them again on our facet. And then it is increasing out and getting extra gamers into the universe and seeing what we are able to do, so whenever you desire a totally different expertise, you do not have to go away Battlefield. You can expertise extra issues throughout the Battlefield universe. So we’re increasing the choices that we’re giving.”
EA has but to announce launch platforms or a closing title for the brand new Battlefield.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
