WithBattlefield 5wrapping up its content roadmap this year, DICE and EA are looking to the future.Battlefield5was the subject to a lot of controversy, some of it unwarranted, but plenty of it absolutely justified. As a result, the ambitious roadmap of content updates slowed to a halt and players abandoned the game. Now theBattlefieldfranchise has its full focus on the next entry, set to release for PS5 and Xbox Series X in the 2022 fiscal year.
There’s a few options for which settingBattlefieldcould go next, but the most likely setting is a modern day conflict. A few leaks and rumors on the internet have come out regardingBattlefield 6, all of which seem to agree the shooter is returning to a contemporary time period. For a series that’s done both historical time periods as well as modern war settings, there’s definitely positive and negative points for a modern setting if true.Battlefieldneeds a fresh start, and even though the series started with WWII, a modern setting may be the perfect restart.
Modern Combat is Hot Right Now
Simply put, previousBattlefieldgames have seen success in a modern setting before so it makes sense to return there. Some of the most popular games in the franchise likeBad Company 1/2andBattlefield 3/4each saw great commercial and critical success depicting modern warfare.Battlefieldis in a peculiar position it’s honestly never really been in before, where the series got its start simulating battles of WWII but has now seenone of its worst-performing games based in WWII. Jumping back to a modern time period, as ironic as it may be, could be exactly what the franchise needs for a comeback.
Rival franchiseCall of Dutyalso did something similar, and has seen phenomenal success with itsModern Warfarereboot. It’s not a one-to-one comparison by any means, but it should at least be encouraging for theBattlefieldseries. TheCall of Dutyseries also put out a WWII shooter in 2017 that, while not exactly as unpopular asBattlefield 5has become for fans, also had a particularly middling release even for aCall of Dutytitle. There were a few problems withmicrotransactions (a prevalent issue back in 2017 for several games), the weapon and perk variety in multiplayer, and story gripes as well. ThenCall of Dutywent back to basics withModern Warfare, and so far has seen great success, not even countingWarzone.
It’s not empirical evidence by any means, butBattlefieldreturning to a modern setting could be the perfect tonal and gameplay shift needed to bring the series back in a big way.
Besting Call of Duty’s Inspired Success
That being said, returning theBattlefieldseries to a modern setting doesn’t come without its challenges. Specifically because of the other franchises mentioned above,Call of Duty. Not only would over-saturation of modern shooters be a problem, but theCall of Dutyfranchise has encroached closer to what used to makeBattlefielddistinctly different from it. With game modes like Ground War and theWarzonebattle royale,Call of Duty: Modern Warfarehas also tackled big team battle modes to fans' praise.Ground War in a lot of ways emulatesBattlefield’s Conquest mode, and has been pretty widely enjoyed by fans as well.
Regardless of which franchise is borrowing from which,Battlefieldwill need to find a way to differentiate itself fromModern Warfareregardless. It’s less aboutthe classicCall of Dutyvs.Battlefielddebate, but more so the fact that Ground War follows a lot of the conventions of classicBattlefieldmultiplayer without the trappings of destruction or variety of vehicles. The solution isn’t necessarily to change things up significantly, considering innovation is probably at the bottom ofBattlefield’s list at the moment.Battlefieldhas its world-changing destruction mechanics, massive map design, and variety of land and air vehicles to emphasize controlled chaos. As integral parts of the gameplay loop,Battlefieldshould double-down or focus on these aspects that make the shooter unique.
Time Period Isn’t a Dealbreaker
Modern military combat is more popular nowadays compared to historical shooters and the over-saturation of futuristic shooters. Though it’s important to note that time period is not going to be the inherent savior of theBattlefieldfranchise. Most fans would likely argue that World War 2 was not the breaking point forBattlefield 5, but the severe balancing issues and the content delays were more detrimental. Pair this with the extremely ambitious content plan that was more ironed out than the gameplay itself, andBattlefield 5’s slow and unfortunate passing was sad to see.Battlefield 6needs to nail down the basics before deciding how to make the game bigger, regardless of whether or not the game is set during 1942 or 2022.
That being said,modern combat spawned some of the greatestBattlefieldgamesto date.Battlefield 4, despite its troublesome launch issues, shaped up to be a greatBattlefieldgame overtime thanks to content updates.Battlefield 3andBad Company 2were some of the best shooters the franchise had to offer because there was a clear focus on what each game intended to do.Bad Company 2has some of the most intelligent map design in the entire series, justifying the at-the-time revolutionary destruction physics.Battlefield 3thrived in its variety, showcasing traditionalBattlefieldgameplay on huge maps like Caspian Border, but also adding more close-quarters combat in maps like Operation Métro.
While the modern combat setting was enjoyed by fans, at the end of the day it was the clear development focus that made theseBattlefieldgames some of the best in the franchise.Battlefield 6would be right to return to a modern setting in 2022, but that’s not only challenge DICE will need to tackle to bringBattlefieldback to its former glory.
Battlefield 6is currently in development.
MORE:Battlefield 6 Should Take a Page Out of Far Cry 6’s Book
