Electronic Arts: Don’t expect a new Battlefield game in 2017

By Gabe Gurwin December 1, 2016

battlefield 1 expansions revealed open beta — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Battlefield 1 breathed new life into Electronic Arts’ long-running shooter franchise, but don’t expect to get a new installment in the near future. The publisher has opted to give the franchise more time to cook as it focuses on another major shooter series, Star Wars Battlefront.

At the Nasdaq 35th Investor Program yesterday, EA chief financial officer Blake Jorgensen stated that there is no Battlefield title planned for 2017, adding that the company “won’t have another Battlefield back for a couple of years. Next year we’ll have Battlefront, the Star Wars game.”

This strategy should give Battlefield and Battlefront developer Dice more time to squash out bugs that have plagued some of its games post-release. The most infamous case of this was Battlefield 4. Rushed to store shelves in order to launch alongside the new PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles, the game was so unstable that making it through an entire multiplayer match was a miracle for several months. The following game, Battlefield: Hardline, was delayed by several months in order to avoid repeating these events.

Last year’s Star Wars: Battlefront fared better in this sense, though its lack of single-player content and shallow progression stand in stark contrast to Battlefield 1.

“It’s a beautiful game, people loved it,” Jorgensen said, referring to the first Battlefront. “I think if there was criticism, they just wanted more. And so we’re taking that criticism to heart as we build the next game and try to address any of the issues that [players] had.”

This likely means that a traditional single-player campaign will be included in a new Battlefront game. Battlefield 1‘s solo portion was lauded back in October for its mature, sensitive handling of World War I, its compelling short stories, and gameplay that blended elements of the game’s multiplayer component and emphasized individual soldiers’ efforts rather than Call of Duty-style set pieces.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

Gaming

Fortnite’s new modes are fun, but don’t sleep on Battle Royale’s great update

Solid Snake aiming a pistol out of a box in Fortnite.

Fortnite is literally the gift that keeps on giving. With so many updates bringing big changes to the game, I don't blame anyone that can no longer keep up with the live-service juggernaut. How could you after Epic recently added a full Rocket League spinoff, a recreation of Rock Band, and a Minecraft-like Lego adventure to the mix? For me, though, those can't completely overshadow the classic Battle Royale playlist that made Fortnite such a hit in the first place -- especially since that mode got some great updates of its own in its latest chapter.

Fortnite Battle Royale Chapter 5 Launch Trailer

Gaming

Don’t ignore Spider-Man 2’s side missions. They’re the best parts of the game

Miles checking his phone in spider-man 2.

With Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 out, you might be tempted to devour Insomniac’s new superhero adventure as fast as possible like a hungry Venom. I wouldn’t blame you. The sequel’s sprawling story is a complicated web of threads that beg to be untangled. It’s tempting to zoom from mission to mission, ignoring all other side activities until New York City has been properly saved from Kraven’s wrath.

If you find yourself in that boat, consider this a PSA: Don’t skip out on Spider-Man 2’s side missions. Though they aren’t as glitzy as the main campaign, the sequel’s best moments are consistently tucked away in quieter quests that emphasize compassion and community support over comic book violence. They’re the moments that best illustrate what it truly means to be a superhero.
Community support
Just like the previous two Spider-Man games, Insomniac’s open-world take on New York City is filled with optional storylines. Early on, Peter and Miles can stop to clean up a mess left by Sandman or take up jobs as local photographers. These aren’t just empty checklists to complete; even something as simple as collecting every Spider-bot in town leads to some kind of narrative payoff that’s usually worth seeing through to the end (especially since a 100% completion only takes around 35 hours).

Gaming

Don’t let these 3 October hidden gaming gems fly under your radar

hidden gem video games october 2023

Heading into October, it was no secret that this month was going to be one of the most hectic ever for video games. Several notable game franchises are receiving brand new entries; this week alone saw the arrival of a new Assassin’s Creed game and the opening of early access for Forza Motorsport. Still, these flashy AAA games are far from the only ones to be coming out right now, and even just eight days into the month, we recognize that some fantastic games have already flown under the radar.
Particularly for those who like games that force them to think strategically, the first week of October featured three new games that haven’t gotten the attention of Forza Motorsport and Assassin’s Creed Mirage, but still deserve it: Silent Hope, The Lamplighters League, and Wargroove 2. These are three solid games that are worth a play while you're waiting for Spider-Man and Mario.
The Lamplighters League

Did you know that Harebrained Schemes, the developer behind fantastic strategy RPGs like the Shadowrun Trilogy and Battletech, put out a new game this week? Well, on October 3, the studio dropped The Lamplighters League, a supernatural strategy game inspired by the pulpy stories of the early 1900s. That’s reflected in the game’s cartoonish art style and charismatic voice acting, which I found very charming.
When it comes to gameplay, it’ll be familiar to those who played Harebrained’s previous games or the XCOM series. Players can sneak around in real time between fights. During those segments, they can explore, take in more of the world and lore, properly position their soldiers, and even pick off some enemies before an encounter begins using each character’s unique abilities. This setup makes The Lamplighters League’s missions more intense and sprawling than its peers.
Although it’s not revelatory for the strategy game genre, it makes you feel like the mastermind behind an eclectic team of spies outsmarting overwhelming forces working against them. While many of this month’s biggest releases are fast-paced, action-focused romps, The Lamplighters League will make you stop, think cleverly, and soundly execute smart tactical strategies to complete a mission with as few mishaps or casualties as possible.
The Lamplighters League is now available for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. It’s also available via Xbox Game Pass.
Wargroove 2