Summary
Making its debut all the way back in 2002, theBattlefieldfranchise is now over two decades old, and it’s seen its fair share of entries in that time. From golden age titles likeBattlefield 3to morerecent disappointments likeBattlefield 2042, the series has seen plenty of ups and downs, but it still remains one of the most influential and beloved FPS franchises around.
When the series first began,Battlefieldimmediately set itself apart from its competitors by focusing on large-scale multiplayer battles, all of which had a healthy amount of historical accuracy, from the names of real-world military operations being used for maps, to the appearance of time-accurate weapons and outfits, to the use of vehicles. As time has gone on, the realism that once setBattlefieldapart from its competitors has taken more of a backseat, but that hasn’t meant that its more recent entries haven’t fit within the same historical timeline.
The Real-Life Timeline of Every Battlefield Game
Battlefield 1 Is the First Game on the Timeline
Released in 2016,Battlefield1is far from the first entry in the franchise, but it is technically the first game in its chronological real-world timeline.Battlefield 1covers the majority ofthe First World War, with its campaigns taking place between 1915 and 1918 and seeing players take control of various figures from multiple sides of the conflict.Battlefield 1’s “The Runner” campaign takes place first, set during the 1915 Gallipoli Campaign. “Friends in High Places” comes next, taking place in 1917. Then “Nothing is Written,” “Avanti Savoia!,” “Storm of Steel,” and “Through Mud and Blood” are all set during 1918, loosely in that order.
Battlefield V Covers the Entire Second World War
Attempting to be even more encompassing than its predecessor,Battlefield Vessentially covers the entire six-year stretch of World War 2, and even reaches back to WW1 for its prologue. Taking place in chronological order, each ofBattlefield V’s War Storiesis set roughly one year after the other, though each one sees players control a different character in a completely different location. AfterBattlefield V’s introductory chapter, which followsBattlefield 1’s Storm of Steel mission, the game jumps to 1942, and continues right up until the spring of 1945, chronicling the final efforts of the war.
Battlefield 1942 Takes Players Across WW2’s Many Fronts
Technically set right in the middle ofBattlefield V,Battlefield 1942unsurprisingly takes place in 1942 duringthe height of World War 2. The firstBattlefieldgame to ever release, one of1942’s biggest selling points at launch was its attempt to be as historically accurate as possible, with all of its maps being based on real-life WW2 battles and operations.
Battlefield Vietnam Takes Place in the 1960s
One of the few games in theBattlefieldfranchise to not actually be set in a specific year,Battlefield Vietnamtakes place sometime duringthe American-Vietnam war, which lasted roughly 19 years in varying forms, between 1954 and 1973. Though, according to the in-game radio, it’s heavily implied thatBattlefield Vietnamtakes place during the height of the conflict in the mid-1960s.
Battlefield 2’s Modern Conflict Starts in 2007
Coming out two wholeyears beforeCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfare,Battlefield 2was the franchise’s first foray into a modern-day conflict. Being predominantly a multiplayer game,Battlefield 2doesn’t have the most fleshed-out plot, though it does have a confirmed setting of 2007, where the world is at war once again, this time with the US and Europe going up against China, Russia, and the fictional Middle Eastern Coalition.
Battlefield Hardline Is a Smaller-Scale 2010s Adventure
An entry designed to offer a completelynew type ofBattlefieldexperience,Battlefield Hardlinesees players thrust into a Miami drug war.Battlefield Hardlinebegins in 2012, with players taking control of a Miami detective named Nick Mendoza who’s framed by fellow corrupt detectives and serves three years in prison. The rest ofBattlefield Hardlinetakes place in 2015, with Mendoza escaping custody and trying to clear his name.
Battlefield 3 and 4 Cover Two Fictional 2010s Wars
Set over the course of nine months, the belovedBattlefield 3campaigncovers a fictional war simply referred to as the “War of 2014,” where the US face off against various foes in the Iraq-Iran region.Battlefield 4takes place six years later, with its own cleverly titled “War of 2020.” Here, it’s revealed that the US and Russia have been essentially at war sinceBattlefield 3, and now China is looking to throw its own hat in the ring.
Battlefield 2042 Blends Modern Realism with Futuristic Tech
With no single-player campaign,Battlefield 2042doesn’t have much of a story, but fans have been able to piece together some important world-building details. In the year 2040, the world is on the brink of total collapse, with the European Union breaking down completely, and tensions between the US and Russia at an all-time high. To make matters even worse, a Kessler Syndrome event occurs, causing the majority of Earth’s satellites to crash into the planet. Two years later, war has broken out once again.
Battlefield 2142 Takes Players Far Into the Future
Technically the fourth mainline entry intheBattlefieldfranchise,Battlefield 2142takes players into the far future. According to the game’s loose story, in 2106 a new ice age began, displacing much of the world’s population. Japan and Russia were two nations gravely affected by this, forming the Pan Asian Coalition to try and aid each other during the crisis. By 2142, the Pan Asian Coalition is at war with the European Union and the Union of African States over their natural resources.
While the rest of theBattlefieldfranchise can all fit loosely on the same timeline,theBattlefield Bad Companyseriescan’t. Set simply in the “near future,” theBattlefield Bad Companyseries revolved around a Russian-American war that’s never entirely explained. It’s unclear exactly when these games take place, and this war is never mentioned in any futureBattlefieldtitle, suggesting that theBad Companyseries might take place on an alternate timeline.
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.
