Battlefield 6 Should Return to a Modern Setting | Game Rant
As far as FPS franchises go, it's hard to dispute Battlefield as one of the goliaths. While it lacks the same level of success as the Call of Duty franchise, Battlefield has consistently delivered big, bold matches for fans that want something just a little bit more complex than the typical run and gun gameplay. But if ever there was a time for Battlefield 6 to see the franchise's return to a modern setting, it's now.
Battlefield 6 is confirmed for the PS5 and Xbox Series X, making the game an inevitability. While fans have long awaited a return to Bad Company, at this point Bad Company 3 is beginning to feel more like a pipe dream than a possibility. But, that doesn't mean that EA has to avoid the modern setting entirely. Battlefield 3 is still considered one of the best entries in the franchise to this day, and there are plenty of fans that would welcome a remaster of the game.
For various reasons, Battlefield 5 didn't meet EA's sales expectations. While there are a number of factors that lead to that result, it's fair to say that fatigue for the World War setting has taken over. Battlefield 1 released towards the end of 2016, and Battlefield 5 two years after that in 2018. For the past few years, Battlefield fans have been caught in the two World Wars, and while they brought different maps, weapons, and vehicles, for the mainstream audience the setting itself simply isn't different enough. That presents a fundamental problem for EA and developer DICE. Battlefield 5 could introduce a mountain of brand-new maps, but the player base will still feel like they've played it before.
Staying in the past would likely be a death sentence for Battlefield 6. Ultimately, that leaves two possibilities: the present and the future. But a future setting may be just as unappealing as another game set in the past. Call of Duty, still seemingly the arbiter for what's "in" in the games industry just did that with Black Ops 4. With Treyarch reportedly taking the lead for the next Call of Duty game, there's a good chance that Black Ops 5 may be the next entry in the franchise, which may mean yet another Call of Duty set in the future.
Battlefield 6 is a next-gen game with a next-gen release date, with the game planned to launch sometime in the fiscal year 2022. That narrows it down to a launch window between October 2021 to September 2022. Traditionally, Battlefield releases in the fall with many of the year's other heavy-hitters, so, a fall 2021 release date seems like the most likely possibility. That means Battlefield 6 won't be competing with the next Call of Duty, it will exist in the wake of it and compete with the entry after that, which will presumably be from Sledgehammer games. The typical Call of Duty developer rotation has become a bit jumbled lately, as Sledgehammer's next Call of Duty has reportedly had a troubled development cycle.
A modern setting is a good way for Battlefield to create some free marketing for a few reasons. Games set in modern times tend to stir up more controversy due to their portrayals of violence, which means more headlines and time on the news. That translates to more eyeballs and more sales, even if that was never the intention for those reporting on controversial aspects of the game. A modern setting is also bound to draw comparisons to Modern Warfare, which is another way to market the game without spending a penny on advertisements, as comparison videos are bound to flood YouTube whenever a trailer releases.
For EA, putting Battlefield back into a modern setting may also prove to be a way to win back some fans. Leading up to the reveal of Battlefield 5, there was a large part of the fanbase hoping for a game set in modern times. This is in large part due to the freedom it carries with it. There tends to be a larger, more diverse arsenal of weapons to play around with, not to mention a better selection of boats, tanks, fighter jets, and helicopters, all of which lead to combat that feels like it's happening on a much grander scale.
The Battlefield franchise has evolved quite a bit since the last entry in a modern setting. Loot boxes, season passes, and changes to DLC structure have all brought major shifts in the video game industry– shifts that Battlefield 6 will inevitably have to navigate. While there are plenty of things fans want EA to include in Battlefield 6, there also needs to be a feeling of refinement for the aspects of the franchise that haven't been working. Modern settings have been explored in-depth in the past by Battlefield, which should give EA a better sense of what its fans want in terms of content.
For now, players are going to have to stick with Battlefield 5, whether they enjoy the World War 2 setting or not. There's still quite a bit of time until Battlefield 6 is ready to go, though it will likely be the product of market shifts between now and when it actually launches. It's fair to assume that the development of the game is already well underway, and with the last two games taking place in the past, there's a good chance that players will return to a modern setting.
Without a doubt, it'll be interesting to see where the Battlefield franchise goes next. There are plenty of possibilities as to what the next entry will look like, but another modern game feels like a good way to kick off the next generation of Battlefield games. There's been an incredibly long period of growth for the franchise, and while it's had its ups and downs, it seems like it may soon be headed in the right direction. Only time will tell, but fans should have something to look forward to on the horizon. It may be a bit before fans actually learn what that is, but, hopefully, it's something they've been waiting for.
Battlefield 6 is currently in development for PS5 and Xbox Series X.
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