Battlefield fans have officially entered the early stages of anticipation for the next game: hope. After the disappointing launch of the critically panned Battlefield 2042, DICE is going back to its roots with the next Battlefield game.
The series’ new boss Vince Zampella confirmed this in a recent interview with IGN, giving many of us a shot of hope. However, the good news doesn’t stop there, as a new leak reveals even more exciting things to come.
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According to a new report from Insider Gaming, the next game (which is said to have yet to be fully named) is planned to have 45 weapons and around 10 multiplayer maps at launch. That may not be a lot of weapons compared to games like Call of Duty, but it’s twice as many weapons as Battlefield 2042 launched with, and is closer to some of the most popular Battlefield games (such as Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4).
Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4, in particular, seem to be the biggest inspirations for the next Battlefield – just look at the game’s first concept art. In fact, launching with ten maps would put the next game close to those classics, at least in terms of launch content. Speaking of maps, the game’s conflicts will reportedly span the United States, Gibraltar (the setting of this concept art), and various other locations around the world.
The main focus of Ripple Effect seems to be “new experiences,” and the report says it’s a free-to-play battle royale game that’s very similar to Call of Duty: Warzone. The main map for the mode is said to be a tropical map, which seems similar to Warzone’s Caldera. EA has always wanted to replicate Activision’s CoD production model in Warzone, and the publisher has hired the right talent to make it happen, including some of the people who led Call of Duty at Activision.
The game’s plot is reportedly about a conflict between NATO and a private military company, taking place between 2027 and 2030. It’s good to hear EA is reintroducing the campaign mode, which was previously left out in BF2042.
Reports suggest that in multiplayer, the destruction mechanic will be overhauled to allow for caliber-based destruction. This actually sounds very similar to Battlefield 5’s destruction mechanic, which reacts differently to different weapons, artillery, heavy armor, and more. Another feature that was shown and discussed before Battlefield 5’s release but never actually came to fruition seems like it will finally be implemented in the next game as well.
In addition to some unspecified movement changes, players will allegedly be able to pick up and move downed teammates, which sounds very similar to BF5’s ill-fated drag-and-drop cover mechanic. As the report suggests, the feature seems designed for battle royale games, where it would make the most sense. That said, all experiences will use the same mechanic, so it’s bound to find some use in regular multiplayer games as well.
Early next year, we expect to be conducting some kind of early community testing, where this vision will become clearer. It’s safe to say that Battlefield fans are very eager to experience this game.
