Battlefield 2042 was very poorly received by gamers and critics. So much so that some people find it hard to imagine the franchise making a comeback. But EA has not said its last word and makes it known.
For many months, DICE has been trying to do its best to save the furniture. Updates and drastic changes have multiplied, but the conclusion remains undeniable: Battlefield 2042 was a failure. Full of good ideas, the multiplayer FPS was too sparse in content and too technically unstable when it was released. Result, the game was destroyed by the community and many players have deserted it for a long time. A real blow, especially when you know that the first trailers managed to raise the hype. But Electronic Arts is now looking to the future. And this one won’t be without Battlefield, whose next game could be quite different from its predecessors.
EA’s growth strategy in the coming years
Recently, Andrew Wilson, the boss of Electronic Arts, discussed at length the results of the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year of the company. During a conference with investors, he spoke in particular about the future of Battlefield. And despite the disappointment that was the last installment, the franchise is not dead. Far from it, even, since Wilson says it is what will have a key role in the future of EA. The editor counts « bringing Battlefield back in an entirely new way in the future ». How ? The mystery remains, but everything seems to presage structural changes for the next game. We know that the single player part will be pampered by the team from the Ridgeline Games team, including Halo alumni.
In fact, this is part of a more global strategy: to continue to capitalize on the licenses that have made its reputation, from The Sims to EA Sports games, via Apex Legends. Andrew Wilson intends to bet on an ever-increasing growth of his business. He mentions the huge workforce and the substantial budget available to them, allowing them to continue to invest in successful franchises and service games.
Battlefield will be back, but not right away
Coming back to the specific case of Battlefield, the CEO of Electronic Arts is particularly enthusiastic. On the other hand, he does not want to rush.
When the time is right, we’ll share more information about the future of Battlefield. But the franchise is firmly rooted in this first pillar of our strategy: to create games and experiences that attract and entertain massive online communities across all platforms, business models and geographies. And we think Battlefield will be an important part of our future.
Andrew Wilson, via The Motley Fool
On the other hand, it is good to specify that the players who do not adhere to the strategy of EA will not be reconciled with their plays shortly. Andrew Wilson indeed recalls that the publisher’s intention is not “not just to create games. We are building a platform to power live-service games for decades to come”. An ambition that aligns with the rest of the industry and in particular PlayStation, which does not intend to bet only on its narrative solo exclusives in the future.
