EA Sets Very High Player Number Expectations for The Next Battlefield Game

Publisher EA appears to have set sky-high expectations for the performance of the next Battlefield game, reportedly hoping that up to 100 million players will engage with the title after it launches. A follow-up to 2021’s Battlefield 2042, the next Battlefield is currently called Battlefield 6 by fans.

After Battlefield 2042‘s prospects were marred by launch problems and low player morale, EA has pulled out all the stops when it comes to righting the ship on its premier first-person shooter franchise. Battlefield 6 is in active development, with the ongoing Battlefield Labs program using fan participation and feedback to further refine the game’s offerings. Despite various non-disclosure agreements, a number of leaks have come from Battlefield Labs, revealing footage of the game and even evidence of a planned Battlefield 6 battle royale mode.

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Players have seemed fairly positive about what they’ve seen of Battlefield 6 so far, which may be fueling EA’s seemingly extreme expectations for the game’s performance. According to a report published by Ars Technica, EA leadership expects that 100 million players will play Battlefield 6 over a period of time after it launches. Though the report doesn’t specify how long a period that is, as a point of comparison, Call of Duty: Warzone passed the 100 million player milestone in 2021, roughly a year after it launched in 2020.

EA Reportedly Expects 100 Million Players for Battlefield 6

According to the Ars Technica report, EA’s 100-million-player expectation for Battlefield 6 is more than three times higher than any game in the franchise has ever achieved before. Battlefield 1 is considered by many to be one of the best Battlefield games ever, as well as being the most popular game in the series in terms of player numbers, but even it only managed a total player count of just above 30 million over its lifetime.

The report goes into further detail about the Battlefield 6 development process, with the total budget allegedly ballooning past $400 million USD as of 2023. With seeming plans for a battle royale mode and an intent to incorporate the most beloved elements of previous Battlefield games, EA appears to believe that its outsized investment in Battlefield 6 could put it on even footing to take on leading games in the multiplayer shooter space such as Epic Games’ Fortnite and Activision’s Call of Duty line.

Online reaction to the news was mostly shocked, with many players and commentators openly worried that EA’s expectations might have dire consequences for the developers involved should Battlefield 6 fall short of them. Some players were hopeful, suggesting that the active involvement of the community in the game’s development could give it the staying power to compete with the industry’s leading live-service games. Time will tell whether EA’s investment and expectations will pay off for the franchise.

Battlefield 2042

5/10

Released

November 19, 2021

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Strong Language, Violence

Developer(s)

DICE, Criterion Games, Ripple Effect

Publisher(s)

Electronic Arts

Engine

Frostbite