Battlefield 6 has had most playtesting ever as official reveal looms-Adam Starkey-Entertainment – Metro

Can EA afford another Battlefield flop? (EA)

Following the disastrous launch of Battlefield 2042, EA is adopting a different approach to put the shooter series back on the map.

It may seem hard to believe now, but Battlefield was once considered a serious rival to Call Of Duty, almost eclipsing Activision’s juggernaut shooter in the early 2010s.

The past two Battlefield games, however, have failed to meet EA’s expectations, with both Battlefield 5 and Battlefield 2042 stumbling out of the gate with rocky launches.

EA has confirmed another Battlefield is on the way, with promises it’ll adopt a back-to-basics approach, but it seems the developers behind the project are also determined to make it a big hit with players.

According to Insider Gaming, playtests with ‘external players’ for Battlefield 6 are ‘happening much more frequently’ than past instalments, while the amount of data and feedback being collected is ‘the most the franchise has seen in its history’.

These tests are said to vary between small feedback sessions and large-scale player tests, in what is described as a ‘player first’ approach.

As part of this, it’s claimed EA is planning to bring back the Battlefield Community Test Environment early next year, which was last featured in 2016’s Battlefield 1. In the Test Environment, players could test gameplay features on a separate server before they were rolled out as official updates.

In September, EA confirmed a ‘large scale community-driven testing program’ for Battlefield 6 would begin in early 2025 – so this is likely the return of the test server.

On the same investor’s day, Battlefield general manager Byron Beede said the next instalment had undergone ‘nearly daily’ playtesting ‘for well over a year’ – so it sounds like the studio is doing everything it can to avoid another flop.

While it remains to be seen if this new approach will put Battlefield back on the map, EA is putting a lot of resources behind the next entry. Battlefield 6 is being developed by four studios in total; DICE, Motive, Criterion Games, and Ripple Effect.

EA has confirmed Battlefield 6 will return to traditional classes and a modern day setting, while the 128-player matches from Battlefield 2042 appear to have been ditched.

Along with a sequel, a ‘new Battlefield experience’ is also in development at Ripple Effect, which is rumoured to be a free-to-play battle royale to rival Call Of Duty Warzone.

An exact release date for Battlefield 6 is yet to be announced, but it is expected to launch next year.

Battlefield 2042 didn’t land well with fans (EA)

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