EA Unveils Battlefield Labs and Battlefield Studios: A New Era for the Franchise

EA has offered the first official look at its upcoming Battlefield game, alongside details about its player testing program, Battlefield Labs, and the newly formed Battlefield Studios.

A short pre-alpha gameplay video accompanied the announcement, showcasing early development footage. This initiative aims to gather crucial player feedback during a critical development phase.

Battlefield Studios unites four EA studios: DICE (Stockholm), Motive, Ripple Effect, and Criterion. Each studio has a specific role:

• DICE (Sweden): Multiplayer development.
• Motive: Single-player missions and multiplayer maps.
• Ripple Effect: Attracting new players to the franchise.
• Criterion: Single-player campaign.

The new Battlefield marks a return to a traditional, linear single-player campaign, a departure from the multiplayer-only Battlefield 2042. EA emphasizes the importance of player feedback in shaping the game's core elements, including combat, destruction, weapons, vehicles, gadgets, maps, modes, and squad play. Conquest and Breakthrough modes are confirmed, alongside refinements to the class system.

Battlefield Labs will initially invite a few thousand players from Europe and North America, expanding to tens of thousands later, with broader geographical support. Participation requires signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).

The project represents a significant investment for EA, following the closure of Ridgeline Games in 2024. The game returns to a modern setting, drawing inspiration from the critically acclaimed Battlefield 3 and 4, abandoning the Specialists and 128-player maps of Battlefield 2042 in favor of a 64-player experience and a more traditional class system.

EA aims to recapture the essence of the Battlefield experience while expanding its appeal to a wider audience. While a release date, platforms, and title remain unannounced, the commitment from EA is clear: "We’re all in on Battlefield."