While Activision continues to see renewed success with theCall of Dutyfranchise, EA continues to lag behind. As the latestBlack Ops Cold Warand the ever-expandingWarzonecarry the franchise’s momentum into 2021, EA’sBattlefieldfranchise finds itself in a troubling position for a return.Battlefield 5left the shooter series, often seen asCall of Duty’s rival, in a bad place by the time official support for the fifth game had ended last year. Granted the ending of developer support was to divert attention to the newBattlefieldgame coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X, which needs to make a serious comeback in order to reach the franchise’s previous height.
Which is exactly whyBattlefield 6needs to get ahead of the curve in 2021, especially with a newCall of Dutygame presumably on the way this year. WhileModern Warfaredid borrow several inspirations fromBattlefieldto implement in certain modes like Ground War, it wasn’t quite the same experience. EA’s flagship shooter still has a chance to recapture the magic and position of power theBattlefieldfranchise used to have for 2021. However, it’s going to want to get ahead ofCall of Duty, the first-person shooter franchise that holds tons of momentum in the genre currently.Battlefieldcould steal some of the spotlight away fromCall of Duty, but it has to do it right.
RELATED:What to Expect from Call of Duty 2021
A Battlefield Reveal is Forthcoming, But it Should Be Soon
For one thing, EA will want to get ahead of Activision in the most literal sense. Typically,Call of Dutygames are revealed in May and/or early summer months, but EA will want to unveil something from the nextBattlefieldgame sooner than that. Especially considering howBattlefield 6, or whatever the nextBattlefieldgame is named, wasinitially announced for PS5/Xbox Series X during an EA investors/earnings calla year ago. There hasn’t been a single inkling of news about the game other than its existence since last January, potentially meaning it’s been in development long enough for a gameplay reveal or even just a teaser.
Recent entries in theBattlefieldfranchise have had reveals in a similar timeframe asCall of Duty, but that hasn’t always been the case.Battlefield 5andBattlefield 1were revealed in May of 2016 and 2018, respectively. However,Battlefield 4was initially revealed back in March of 2013, whileBattlefield 3was initially revealed in April of 2011.Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s reveal may have happened in August of 2020 instead of May this year, but it’s hard not to point to the manyrumors of a troubled development potentially causing a delayed reveal. EA will still want to reveal the next entry ahead ofCall of Duty, in order to avoid being overshadowed for its comeback.
RELATED:Predicting Battlefield 6’s Official Reveal and Release Date
Between Two Very Similar Shooters, Battlefield Needs to Stand Out
There’s also merit to the idea that bothBattlefieldandCall of Dutycould potentially be very similar this year, so announcingBattlefieldearlier could divert attention. Rumors surrounding the next game’s development havehinted at theBattlefieldseries' return to a modern day setting. Considering the latestCall of Dutyfeatured an 80s/Cold War setting by Treyarch, there’s a high likelihood that this year’s annual release is anotherModern Warfareentry alongside 2019’s reboot. That means two very similar modern combat shooters could potentially be releasing in the same year, so EA will want to get out in front of a potentialModern Warfare 2to gain momentum.
Previously, theCall of Dutyvs.Battlefielddebate used to be a pretty consistent topic among fans, but not so much anymore. If EA makes a big splash withBattlefield 6’s announcement, that argument could hypothetically return in a good way. Not only does EA have to contend with one of the most popular shooters in games, but some of the more unique aspects ofBattlefield(bigger lobbies, larger maps, vehicles, etc.) have trickled intoCall of Dutyin the last year.Battlefieldneeds to emphasize what makes it different fromCall of Dutyto have any chance of making a comeback this year, and it certainly can given the pedigree of games likeBattlefield 3.
Much of this depends on whenBattlefieldis initially announced. There’s virtually no information on if and when aBattlefield 6or newBattlefieldgame will be announced this year, despite being initially planned to release in EA’s 2022’s fiscal year, which means any time after July 05, 2025. Based on prior releases, the next entry will likely be a fall/winter release, but the reveal itself is a bit up in the air. Most would expect anywhere in the April/May 2021 range, but without a focal point like E3, marketing timelines for games are a bit more ambiguous now. However, one thing is clear: the nextBattlefieldis a serious mountain to climb if it’s going to rivalCall of Duty.
