Following the rocky launch of “Battlefield 2042”, EA has confirmed that a shared Battlefield franchise universe is in the works. This announcement coincided with a shift of management for the series, with Vince Zampella, co-founder of Infinity Ward (Call of Duty), and EA studio Respawn Entertainment, overseeing the Battlefield series (Apex Legends).
This huge leadership change follows a tumultuous “Battlefield 2042” launch period, which was marred by bugs, poor performance on all major platforms, and server troubles. Battlefield 4, Hardline, and 5 were all problematic at launch in their own ways – while they shared many of the present faults with “Battlefield 2042“ – but “Battlefield 2042” has sparked a negative critical and user reaction that dwarfs the series’ previous blunders. While indignation and review scores are important, one form of indicator, in particular, maybe driving EA’s radical moves. “Battlefield 2042” Steam player numbers have plummeted by roughly 70% since its debut.
Despite the current roadblocks, EA’s newly recruited Battlefield franchise chief Vince Zampella tells GameSpot that the company is working on creating a “connected Battlefield universe,” implying that more frequent series releases are on the way. Although Zampella claimed that future Battlefield games will be “interconnected with shared characters and narrative,” he did not discuss yearly releases like competitor Call of Duty. This strategic move (as Battlefield games are normally different and published years apart) will not have a detrimental impact on existing titles, according to Zampella, who vows that “Battlefield 2042” will “develop and mature.”
Our vision for Battlefield starts with our commitment to 2042 and grows beyond that into a new future. Hear more about our road ahead with Vince Zampella and others in a new interview.https://t.co/ZdKqQOMVuz
— Battlefield (@Battlefield) December 2, 2021
The newest installment in the series, which is only two weeks old, appears to be on track to do just that. “Battlefield 2042” Update #3, which claims to fix hundreds of gameplay and UI bugs, was released recently after a smaller pair of fixes. Because the patch was released on the same day as EA’s restructuring of Battlefield production, it appears that the multiplayer-only FPS still has a long way to go. The player base will soon reveal what worked and what didn’t in the newest release, and it may be some time until “Battlefield 2042’s” performance and graphic problems are ironed out to an acceptable level.
Although there are considerably less players in the new Battlefield than on launch day, those who are still playing have expressed dissatisfaction with drastic series departures like “Battlefield 2042’s” widely criticized Santa skin. What EA has planned for Battlefield’s shared universe has remained a mystery thus far, but if it doesn’t measure up with the games’ established image and reputation, there might be future outrage.