When EA revealed that it was adopting new multi-studio development model for the Battlefield franchise in 2021, it confirmed that Ripple Effect Studios – previously DICE LA – was at work on a “new” Battlefield “experience”. But with DICE and Ridgeline Games currently working on the series’ next mainline instalment (which is allegedly due out in October 2025), what should we expect from how Ripple Effect’s game will fit into the picture?
Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson has published a new report that claims that Ripple Effect’s unknown Battlefield game is going to be a free-to-play battle royale title. Headed up by former Call of Duty boss Byron Beede, the studio is seemingly envisioning the game, which is supposedly Beede’s personal “brainchild”, as an experience similar to Call of Duty: Warzone.
That means the battle royale title will tie into the series’ next game, though whether that means it will be available at the same time, or launch some time later (or before) is unspecified. In addition to a classic battle royale mode, the game will allegedly also have a new mode named Gauntlet, where teams will compete against each other in objective-based rounds, with the lowest-scoring team being kicked out at the end of each one.
Previously, Beede has said that Ripple Effect Studios’ Battlefield game will “complement and build upon the series’ foundations.” Read more on that through here.
Of course, this isn’t Battlefield’s first crack at a battle royale experience, though it’s fair to say that Battlefield 5’s Firestorm and Battlefield 2042’s Hazard Zone didn’t hit the mark the way fans had hoped. They weren’t full-fledged free-to-play experiences though, so perhaps the series will find more success with a new model.