Per Gamespot, Electronic Arts is planning on rejiggering how the Battlefield franchise is run and how games are to be developed moving forward. This will happen in parallel to fixing Battlefield 2042, the latest game from DICE that is in shambles and has seen a major patch arrive today to make the game a bit more engaging.
Given the state of the series and how the most recent Battlefield hasn’t been well received, changes are happening beginning with Respawn’s co-founder Vince Zampella is assisting DICE and is overseeing the franchise. “We will continue to evolve and grow Battlefield 2042, and we’ll explore new kinds of experiences and business models along the way that we can add to that foundation to provide an awesome array of experiences for our players,” says Zampella. “In this universe, the world is interconnected with shared characters and narrative. This universe is also built with our community as we harness the power of Portal and user-generated content that puts creativity in the hands of our players.”
No details on how the Battlefield universe is planning on expanding have been mentioned given it is likely too early to reveal but there is one new studio helping out, headed by former Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto. Ripple Effect will work with DICE to expand the franchise and help improve Battlefield 2042. In addition, Battlefield Mobile is in development over at Industrial Toys, headed by Bungie co-founder Alex Seropian.
“We intend to build a Battlefield universe, one with multiple projects that are interconnected with the player at the center,” Zampella said. “We plan to grow Battlefield and meet players where they play through various experiences and business models, including our upcoming Battlefield Mobile coming in 2022 from Alex Seropian and Industrial Toys.”
Byron Beedewas hired by EA earlier this year as well with the goal of growing Battlefield and was happy to welcome Lehto to the team. “While he and his team in the Seattle area are just getting started on building the Battlefield world of tomorrow, their work will shape later seasons for 2042 and beyond,” Beede said to GameSpot. “This new studio will act as the driver for narrative in tight collaboration with DICE and Ripple Effect Studios to help build great player experiences in the Battlefield universe.”
