Electronic Arts confirms that the next major Battlefield release will be available in October this year, pushing Anthem into an early 2019 release window.
In a statement confirming Anthem‘s delay out of 2018, Electronic Arts also revealed that the next title in the Battlefield franchise will be released this October. The release window was mentioned to show how EA was spacing out its upcoming games to ensure each has an opportunity to shine. An official announcement detailing the next Battlefield is expected in the months to come.
Electronic Arts confirmed the release of a new Battlefield in 2018 almost 6 months ago, which is unsurprising given the franchise has been trading off years with Star Wars Battlefront. Similarly, an October release window isn’t surprising since both Battlefield 1 and Battlefield 4 launched in October.
It’s unclear exactly how Anthem and Battlefield‘s release windows have been shifted to accommodate each other. Both titles were announced as 2018 releases in mid-2017, so EA was at the very least comfortable with the two games launching in close proximity to each other.
That Anthem was delayed and not Battlefield perhaps speaks to recent market changes, namely the reaction to Battlefront 2 and its monetization systems. Perhaps EA thinks Battlefield will be under less scrutiny if it’s released in the holidays, or perhaps more time is needed for Anthem to rework its monetization schemes. Time will tell.
What could be surprising is exactly what form Battlefield takes on when it releases in October. Rumors have swirled around the forthcoming Battlefield title, with some rumors claiming Battlefield: Bad Company 3 is on the way and others saying a World War 2 title is what’s in store. And there’s always the possibility of Battlefield 5 returning players to the modern era. After Battlefield 1, developer DICE set a new precedent for looking backward, but that doesn’t mean all upcoming titles in the franchise will follow suit.
That being said, it seems likely that Electronic Arts will want to continue the success that Battlefield 1 found, which makes a World War 2 title all the more likely. During an investors call earlier today, EA boasted of 25 million unique players since Battlefield 1 launched
