Battlefield Is Reportedly Planning to Release New Games Every Year

Battlefield appears to be looking to copy the Call of Duty strategy of having a new release every single year. Call of Duty has dominated the industry for many, many years now as a regular best-selling title. It is a reliable franchise that is always available every single holiday season and offers a high-value package with campaign, multiplayer, and a co-op mode. The ability to have a new game every year is what has allowed it to be so successful, though some have argued that has compromised its quality. With that said, Battlefield seems to be moving in the direction of Call of Duty.

Battlefield has had a fairly consistent cadence with new releases every 2 – 3 years, but Battlefield 6 has had the longest development cycle. The new game comes four years after Battlefield 2042, a game that did immense damage to the franchise. It was necessary, though, as the team was able to really identify how to make a better Battlefield game in that time. Now, Battlefield 6 is being hailed as one of the next great FPS games and could restore the series to its former glory with a smooth launch. However, the series could be headed to something a bit controversial in the coming years.

Battlefield May Copy Call of Duty’s Yearly Release Structure

According to analyst Michael Pachter, Battlefield General Manager Byron Beede told him that Battlefield Studios is developing a plan that would allow the series to become annualized by the 2030s. At that time, the series would have three studios working on a rotation, similar to Call of Duty. This would likely be DICE, Ripple Effect, and EA Motive, alternating like Treyarch, Infinity Ward, and Sledgehammer Games do on Call of Duty. It’s unclear if Battlefield would use this to make games in different eras or styles, such as one that is the typical modern day shooter, one that’s in a historical war like World War II, and maybe something more unique like Battlefield: Hardline which was a police-centric spin-off.

Of course, this is all hearsay. Pachter could be misquoting Beede, given he didn’t provide an exact quote. However, Beede and his cohort Vince Zampella both used to hold big roles on the Call of Duty franchise. They may seek to use lessons learn to try and emulate or improve the Call of Duty formula. Either way, it doesn’t sound like the best way to make Battlefield games. It’s a franchise that has longevity. People still play Battlefield 4 and Battlefield 1, games that are both about a decade old. By churning them out, it may kill that replayability factor as there won’t be time to grow any kind of significant attachment to the games.

With this plan being at least five years away, a ton could change, especially if Battlefield 6 maintains long-term engagement from its fans. If the team sees that players are willing to keep playing one game, there may not be need for multiple on a consistent basis. Maybe EA will come out and deny this approach altogether, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

Battlefield 6 will release on October 10th for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC.

Battlefield 6 Players Aren’t Using One of Their Best Tools