EA has explained the Battlefield franchise will be helmed by a new studio cohort called Battlefield Studios.
The ensemble consists of four developers: original creator DICE, Dead Space’s Motive, Burnout makers Criterion, and Ripple Effect. The quartet will work to “bring a bold and faithful new vision for the series to life.”
EA has previously teased Battlefield’s more collaborative future after the mixed reception to Battlefield 2042, and today’s news comes with another new initiative: Battlefield Labs. Similar to the Xbox Insiders program, players can apply to “test concepts and experiences we’re excited about.”
“We want our community to play a key role in the future of Battlefield, and this is an opportunity for many of you to do just that,” the studio added.
Labs’ test rollout will begin with “pillars of play” like core combat and destruction, then transition to balance and feedback for weapons and vehicles. Key multiplayer modes like Conquest and Breakthrough will also be included, and the Labs will be used to “explore new ideas and fine-tune and improve Battlefield pillars like our class system.”
“Players will experience, under NDA, different pieces of an unfinished puzzle so we have time to incorporate your feedback into the final product,” continued Battlefield Studios. It stressed not every part of the next game will be featured in the Labs, and everything is a work-in-progress as the development cycle has entered a “critical phase.”
Game development is a Battlefield
After Battlefield 2042, EA elected to take a page out of Call of Duty’s playbook and bring in multiple studios to work on the series. Criterion previously assisted with development on 2042, Battlefield 1, and Battlefield V. Ripple Effect, formerly DICE LA, also helped with some of those titles.
Motive formed a Battlefield-focused team in 2024, weeks after EA had shuttered Ridgeline Games. Ridgeline was co-founded by Halo alum Marcus Lehto in 2021 and tasked with working on a narrative campaign for the next game.
At time of writing, Motive’s Iron Man project is still in production. As for Criterion, Battlefield head Vince Zampella told Eurogamer the studio was putting its full attention on the shooter—meaning the Need for Speed series is on ice, at least for now.
“With an increased understanding of what our players want in a Need for Speed experience, we plan to bring the franchise back in new and interesting ways,” said Zampella.