EA's Refusal to Make Battlefield: Bad Company 3 is Bizarre
For decades now, Battlefield has been one of Electronic Arts' top franchises. Most Battlefield games earn strong reviews and have been well-received by the community, and many of them end up being some of the top-selling games of any given year. And this includes not only the main series Battlefield games, but also the spin-offs as well, with the most successful Battlefield spin-off games being the Bad Company titles.
Battlefield: Bad Company and its sequel, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, stand out from the other games in the series due to their unique narratives, sense of humor, and character-focus. Whereas most of the Battlefield games have players taking control of random soldiers in various historical wars, the Bad Company games instead follow the exploits of Preston Marlowe and the titular Bad Company squad in fictional conflicts.
More emphasis is put on the single player campaigns in the Battlefield: Bad Company games when compared to other titles in the franchise, which tend to focus almost entirely on multiplayer and treat the single player experience as an afterthought. This has helped the Battlefield: Bad Company games carve their own niche in the Battlefield fandom as well as appeal to people who normally wouldn't play a Battlefield game. But despite the popularity of the Battlefield: Bad Company games, EA hasn't moved forward with a third game in the series.
It's absolutely bizarre that EA still hasn't moved forward with a Battlefield: Bad Company 3, especially when one considers the runaway success of Battlefield: Bad Company 2. While the first Bad Company game was plenty popular, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 took things to the next level, earning some of the highest critic scores out of any game in the entire Battlefield series and selling over 12 million copies in the process.
But despite Battlefield: Bad Company 2 being wildly successful, EA hasn't pulled the trigger on Battlefield: Bad Company 3. Instead DICE and EA have focused primarily on releasing main series Battlefield games, with varying degrees of success. While Battlefield 3 was a big hit, Battlefield 4 was less so, and while Battlefield 1 is one of the top-performing games in the series, Battlefield V sales didn't live up to expectations.
The main series Battlefield games have been somewhat inconsistent, so it seems like a no-brainer to put more time between releases with spin-off games like Battlefield: Bad Company, especially when they are as popular as Battlefield: Bad Company 2.
While EA has not made any official announcements about a new Battlefield: Bad Company game, rumors have persisted over the years that the company has been looking into bringing the series back one way or another. Some rumors pointed to this revival being in the form of Battlefield: Bad Company remasters that would enhance the original two games and bring them to modern consoles, not unlike what Activision has done with some of its Call of Duty titles.
Some reports indicate that a Battlefield: Bad Company remaster was even in active development at one point, but those plans were reportedly shelved. If the rumors are to be believed, the Battlefield: Bad Company remasters were in the works at DICE LA, but development stopped when Respawn Entertainment's Vince Zampella was put in charge of the studio. Now DICE LA is believed to be working on a completely original project, and there are rumblings that the studio may even change its name when it finally reveals its new game.
EA has been voted the worst company in the US on multiple occasions, and so the disdain that many people have for the company is not exactly a secret. And while calling EA the worst company in America is silly when compared to some other corporations that exist, it has definitely made some unpopular decisions over the years. One of the biggest debacles in EA's history came just a few years ago when it and Battlefield studio DICE launched Star Wars Battlefront 2.
Star Wars Battlefront 2's loot boxes were hugely controversial, causing the game to not only be heavily criticized by fans, but also by governments all around the world. The Star Wars Battlefront 2 loot box controversy triggered a chain of events that led to the loot box model being outright banned for some games in certain countries. This unfortunate situation hurt DICE's reputation, but it seems as though a Battlefield: Bad Company 3 game could win back fans and then some.
Not only would Battlefield: Bad Company 3 win back fans who were burned by the Star Wars Battlefront 2 loot box controversy, but it could also win back fans who weren't impressed with Battlefield V, a game that sold far less copies than its predecessor.
The latest reports suggest that EA is well aware of the demand for Battlefield: Bad Company 3, but that it is being cautious about when it decides to bring the franchise back. The next Battlefield game is the currently untitled Battlefield 2021, which is expected to take full advantage of the next-generation hardware provided by the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, pushing the franchise to never-before-seen heights. Maybe Battlefield: Bad Company 3 or remasters of the original Bad Company games will be next in line, though fans shouldn't hold their breath.
A new Bad Company game will likely happen eventually, but the fact that it already hasn't happened is very strange and doesn't seem to make any logical sense when one considers the incredible success of Bad Company 2, so it's hard to gauge exactly when EA may finally pull the trigger on bringing back the beloved Battlefield spin-off series.
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