There’s little doubt in anyone’s mind that Battlefield is one of the biggest properties under EA’s best, and it seems the company has big plans for expanding the franchise further. As reported by GameSpot, EA is adopting a multi-studio, multi-game development model for the series that isn’t too dissimilar to what Activision has been doing with Call of Duty for a while.
DICE will, of course, continue to develop new Battlefield games, and for the foreseeable future, will be supporting Battlefield 2042 with new content and updates. A recent report also claimed that the developer had started working on a new game in the series as well, though allegedly, it’s in the very early stages of production.
Another studio involved in the mix is Ripple Effect Studios– formerly named DICE LA, the developer that was responsible for one of Battlefield 2042’s three main modes, Battlefield Portal. In addition to continuing support for Portal, Ripple Effect will also be working on a “new experience” in the Battlefield 2042 universe, though what exactly that means in terms of if its a new game or additional content for 2042 itself remains to be seen.
Another developer that’s going to be involved with the series is the new studio led by Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto that was recently established in Seattle. The studio will be responsible for expanding the narrative of Battlefield 2042 – which launched without a single player component – with “a variety of experiences” that will show up in “later seasons” for Battlefield 2042 and “beyond.”
This major shake-up also goes hand-in-hand with personnel changes. DICE GM Oskar Gabrielson is leaving EA, while Respawn Entertainment head Vince Zampella will become the boss of the Battlefield franchise at large. Together with Byron Beede, Zampella will be in charge of shaping, managing, and expanding the franchise as a whole.
