Summary
PredatingCall of Dutyby just one year, theBattlefieldfranchise managed to set itself apart back in 2002 from the get-go thanks to its larger scale matches, and its focus on online multiplayer which was still a fairly novel approach at the time. WhileCall of Dutyand its competitorsdelivered fast-paced campaigns and online deathmatches containing around just 10 players,Battlefielddelivered full-scale warzones, dropping up to 64 players into one massive arena and letting them run, drive, fly, and shoot their way to victory.
But while this niche keptBattlefieldthriving for well over a decade, the franchise hit a few sizable road blocks in quick succession. First, it was the poor reception to the rushedBattlefield Hardlinein 2015, thenBattlefield 5’s pre-release controversies and eventual disappointing launch in 2018, and finallyBattlefield 2042’s dismal state on release. Despite all that, theBattlefieldfranchise isn’t down for the count just yet, though its inevitable next entry will have an impossible task in trying to choose the right setting.
The Next Battlefield Setting Has a Tough Choice To Make
Battlefield’s Historical Settings Don’t Tend to Do As Well
TheBattlefieldfranchise began its life as a historical shooter first and foremost, with its first two entries taking players back toWW2 and Vietnamrespectively. It wasn’t until 2005 thatBattlefield 2released, bringing with it a new modern-day setting, one that remained the focus of the franchise for an entire decade. The next mainlineBattlefieldgame to adopt a historical setting was 2016’sBattlefield 1, a game that’s only grown more popular with age.
But whileBattlefield 1remains one of the most popular entries in franchise history, its sales still don’t quite reach the franchise’s best. Officially,Battlefield 1sold a total of 15 million units. While that’s very impressive, it’s still less thanBattlefield 3’s 17 million. And thenBattlefield 5really dropped the ball, selling a total of 7.3 million copies by 2019, which is good, but not nearly equal to the franchise’s golden era. Generally speaking, it seems as thoughBattlefield’s historical settings, even when done right, don’t sell quite as well as those with a modern-day setting, which puts the franchise in a tough spot.
Battlefield’s Modern Settings Have a Mixed Track Record
WhileBattlefieldtends to do better when it has a modern-day setting,Battlefield 2042may have ruined that long-running franchise pattern. Though it’s certainly gotten a lot better over the last few years, there’s no denying thatBattlefield 2042’s initial releasewas incredibly disappointing, and there’s no doubt that it’s tarnished the franchise’s reputation moving forward. It seems likely that, for its next entry,Battlefieldwould want to distance itself from a modern-day setting once more to get as far away from2042as possible, though this is where the series finds itself at a stalemate.
to distance itself fromBattlefield 2042’s modern setting, the next entry would need to head back into the past, butBattlefield’s last period piece,Battlefield 5, was also a big disappointment. TheBattlefieldfranchise is surrounded by disappointment on all sides, leaving really only one option, and that’s forBattlefieldto get a bit weird with its next entry. The best way to avoid comparisons to2042andVmight be to simply set the game in a completely new time period for the franchise, either leaning all the way into historical accuracy with something like a Napoleonic Era entry, or a game set in the far future, in a similar vein to the oldBattlefield 2142title.
Battlefield
EA’s Battlefield franchise is a series of first-person shooter games. The games have predominantly been set in the modern day, though there have also been titles set in World War 1, World War 2, and in the near future.The Battlefield franchise is often compared to Call of Duty, with both franchises offering single-player campaigns and online multiplayer.
