Next Battlefield Will Return to Modern Setting, Bring Back 64-Player Maps and Classes, Says EA

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Battlefield, Electronic Arts' Call of Duty competitor, hasn't been seen since the last instalment in the first-person military shooter franchise launched in 2021. Battlefield 2042 faced backlash from players over its multiplayer ‘Specialist' system and lack of a single-player campaign. Nearly three years on, details about the next game in the long-running series have finally emerged, with EA confirming the next Battlefield game will return to a modern setting.

After exploring the near-future setting in Battlefield 2042 and World War I and World War II time periods in Battlefield 1 and Battlefield V, respectively, EA is going back to a modern setting for the next Battlefield title, an IGN report revealed Tuesday. The company confirmed the details to the publication and released the first concept art from the game. EA, however, did not provide details about the game's official title and launch timeline.

EA's intent is to return to what it's good at, with Head of Respawn & Group GM for EA Studios Organization Vince Zampella referring to Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4 in a conversation with IGN. "I mean, if you look back to the peak or the pinnacle of Battlefield, it's that Battlefield 3... Battlefield 4 era where everything was modern. And I think we have to get back to the core of what Battlefield is and do that amazingly well, and then we'll see where it goes from there,” Zampella told the publication.

“But I think for me, it's that peak of Battlefield-ness is in that Battlefield 3 and 4 days. So I think it's nostalgic for players, for me, for the teams even. Those are kind of the heyday...although I would say 1942 also."

Zampella also talked about narrowing down the focus for multiplayer maps on the next Battlefield title. Battlefield 2042 launched with much-maligned 128-player maps to replace its popular 64-player online matches. The decision, however, was not well received among players. The game's ‘Specialist' system, that replaced traditional classes with