Don’t expect a new Battlefield game for a couple years, as Electronic Arts noted in a conference call for its fiscal earnings today that the series is going to be taking a break.
EA said that there won’t be a new Battlefield until fiscal year 2022, which starts on March 31, 2021. In the meantime, EA will focus on the hit free-to-play battle royale game Apex Legends, which has reached over 70 million players.
The Battlefield series started in September 2002 with the launch of Battlefield 1942. For the past several years, the franchise has produced a new entry every two years. While that pace isn’t as intense as Call of Duty’s schedule of one new game every year, it still kept developer Dice busy. And while Battlefield was never as big as Call of Duty, it was still EA’s premier shooter franchise.
However, Battlefield V launched in 2018 to disappointing sales. That entry’s lukewarm response, coupled with the popularity of Apex Legends, gives EA and Dice a reason to spend some extra time on the next installment in the franchise. Meanwhile, Dice will also continue to release new content for Battlefield V, including a big Pacific Theater update that launches on October 31.
Most Battlefield games release in late October, so an October 2022 launch could be possible. That would make it just in time to celebrate Battlefield 1942’s 20th anniversary.
Author: Mike Minotti
Source: Venturebeat
