Players struggle to get excited after new Battlefield reveal
We've finally got a look at the next Battlefield game, but having been burned before, fans are worried about the franchise.
17th Sep 2024 10:28
Images via DICE
Players struggle to get excited after new Battlefield reveal
We've finally got a look at the next Battlefield game, but having been burned before, fans are worried about the franchise.
17th Sep 2024 10:28
Images via DICE
The shooter scene is in something of a tight spot right now, and although Black Ops 6 looks like it'll put Call of Duty back on top, other titles are in freefall. We don't know what's going on with Marathon, Concord has already kicked the bucket, Apex Legends is haemorrhaging players, and there are even worries Warzone isn't long for this world.
A number of legacy IPs are hoping to make a comeback, with both Battlefield and Halo promising big things after recent fumbles. It's fair to say that neither Battlefield 2042 nor Halo Infinite performed as expected, and with an oversaturated genre, simply having decades of legacy fans behind you isn't enough these days.
New Battlefield gets its first concept art
Vince Zampella Confirms Next Battlefield Will Use Modern Setting, First Concept Art Revealed
byu/NotMeAgain999 ingaming
Although it was once a case of jumping into the trenches every year and seeing whether it was Battlefield or CoD that came out victorious, those days are long gone. Like CoD, Battlefield has ditched it World War II roots and tried to move with the times to give us some weird and wonderful settings.
Respawn Entertainment's Vinca Zampella has just unveiled his grand plans to 'save' Battlefield, confirming the next outing's setting via some glossy concept art. Speak to IGN, Zampella showed what's on the way and revealed a back-to-basics approach that will return to a modern-day setting.
Zampella remains tight-lipped on the finer details of the concept art, but IGN notes the city featured evokes the aesthetic of somewhere like Italy or France. Natural disasters look like they'll be part of the fray, while ship-to-ship helicopter combat was another detail potentially spotted.
While the marketing train is leaving the station early, fans on the r/gaming subreddit are less convinced, and having been burned before, are sceptical that the next Battlefield can bring the franchise back from the brink. Someone mused, "The last games had no soul, felt empty and way too gimmicky to try and get the Fortnite/Warzone crowd to play Battlefield."
When one gamer said, "It's difficult to get excited about BF these days, I really hope they just go back to what made 3 and 4 so playable and fun," another added, "Same! I was so stoked for 2042 but they f**ked it up so bad." Another chimed in, "I spent a sh*tload of time on BF One but everything since then has been mediocre to bad. It's sad because growing up I felt Battlefield was one of the major FPS gaming franchises."
Zampella wants to recapture 'peak' Battlefield
As the Head of Respawn & Group GM for EA Studios Organization, Zampella is being pitched as the golden boy who can save Battlefield, shouting out Battlefield 3 and 4 as big influences for the next title: "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."
Zameplla continued, "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. 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."
While we'll remain cautiously optimistic that lessons have been learned and Zampella's expertise can lend a helping hand, it's true that most of the talent who gave us those peak Battlefield games are long gone. Some simply want to see a 2142 remaster done right instead of churning out new entries that are desperately trying to compete with CoD.
There's no firm release date for the new Battlefield, but with the game entering full production earlier this year and Zampella confirming a community program coming in 2025, some are pencilling in next year for a potential launch. Even though we're intrigued to see where Battlefield goes next, this really could be the last chance saloon for the ailing shooter.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
