Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson says Battlefield game development is being “reviewed” and will involve more work like Respawn Entertainment. He emphasizes that 2042 is still being worked on and that there will only be new, extra content if the gameplay itself is good.
Wilson says at EA’s quarterly results that the Battlefield development team is now under “great leadership” reviewing Battlefield game development. In addition, according to Wilson, the team is looking more at the way Respawn Entertainment and Vince Zampella make games, with the focus being on making a game fun as quickly as possible.
“The team has made thousands of updates to the community, working on the quality of the game and making sure it’s right.” However, Wilson thinks there is still more work to be done. “Once we feel that the experience of the game is right, you can expect to continue growing the game.”
The CEO continues to focus on the long term and that Battlefield is “one of the largest franchises in the industry.” “Our expectation is that we will continue to grow and that Battlefield will remain an important part of our portfolio for many years to come.”
The release of Battlefield 2042 last November was met with negative user reviews. Last month, between 1000 and 2000 players regularly played at the same time. Its predecessor, Battlefield V, was played by a multitude of these at the time. EA previously indicated that it is lowering its annual expectations due to the disappointing reception of Battlefield 2042.
Shortly after the release of the latest Battlefield game, DICE director Oskar Gabrielson left. After that, Vince Zampella became responsible for the Battlefield franchise. Zampella is also CEO of Apex Legends developer Respawn and co-founder of Call of Duty creator Infinity Ward.
In the notes to the quarterly figures, Wilson also discusses Battlefield Mobile. He expects this game to be released around the turn of the year, but that will depend on how the game is received in closed beta. Earlier, EA said the game would be released this year.