Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto was enlisted by Electronic Arts in 2021 to lead a new studio in Seattle and work on narrative-driven campaigns for the Battlefield series, and the following year, that studio was formally unveiled as Ridgeline Games, and confirmed to be in charge of “expanding the narrative, storytelling, and character development opportunities in the Battlefield series.”
Lehto’s association with EA and the Battlefield series seems to have come to a premature end, however. As spotted by Twitter user @DANNYonPC, Lehto recently removed all references of Battlefield from his Twitter profile’s bio, and shortly afterward, confirmed on his Facebook page that he had left his job as VP and GM at Ridgeline Games.
There has been no communication from Lehto or from Electronic Arts about his sudden departure, nor is there word on what (if anything) this means for the company’s plans for Battlefield in terms of its narrative-driven campaigns.
Work on the next Battlefield game is ongoing at DICE, while Ripple Effect Studios is also working on a new Battlefield experience that will supposedly “complement and build” on the series’ foundations. Last September, it was revealed that Need for Speed developer Criterion Games was also once again providing development support on the Battlefield franchise.
