With the Connected Battlefield Universe’s development now in full swing, EA announced today that Battlefield 2042 Season 7 will officially be its last.
Writing in a blog, Battlefield general manager Byron Beede explained that it’s time for the franchise to “turn from the present to the future.” To that end, he says, EA will continue to support Battlefield 2042 with “in-game challenges, events, modes, and of course, ongoing maintenance,” but will be moving away from a seasonal structure when Season 7 wraps up in June.
“We know this news may be disappointing. However, as we looked at what the future of the series required, it became clear it was time for us to shift our resources and focus to be fully dedicated to what comes next,” Beede said.
In the meantime, EA plans to serve up more content as part of Season 7, which launched back in March. Planned updates include a revamped map based on the Stadium from Hourglass, another LMG, two more in-game events, and another vehicle.
Season 7 marks the end of Battlefield 2042’s comeback trail after its disappointing release back in 2021, which saw fans and critics pan its 128 player matches and its Specialist system among other criticisms. In the years since it has managed to rehabilitate its reputation somewhat, though it still sits at Mixed on Steam.
Vince Zampella, who is the Group GM of both Respawn and Battlefield, previously called the Battlefield Connected Universe an “and” strategy back in 2021, saying that EA would continue to “evolve and grow Battlefield 2042.” But a little more than two-and-a-half years after its original release, it looks like EA is ready to move on.
Motive joins the Connected Battlefield Universe
Looking ahead, EA says that the Connected Battlefield Universe is officially leaving pre-production and adding another studio. Following Ridgeline Games’ closure in the wake of the departure of founder Marcus Lehto, EA revealed that a team at EA Motive led by Roman Campos-Oriola and Phillipe Ducharme will be joining in the game’s development alongside Ripple Effect, DICE, and Criterion.
“[Ducharme and Campos-Oriola] will build a team at Motive to work alongside the Battlefield studios around the world creating what’s next for Battlefield – a universe across both multiplayer and single-player experiences,” Motive GM Patrick Klaus wrote in a separate blog post. “Their proven expertise in storytelling, immersive battles and developing on the Frostbite engine uniquely positions them to help advance the vision for Battlefield, led by Vince Zampella (EVP, Group GM of Respawn and Battlefield) and Byron Beede (SVP, GM Battlefield).”
Ducharme and Campos-Oriola previously led development on the Dead Space remake, which was acclaimed for its excellent visuals and its “carefully balanced innovation and renovation with preservation.” Their new mission will be to “support single-player and multiplayer objectives for Battlefield Universe,” EA says.
Motive’s move to Battlefield isn’t expected to impact development on its untitled Iron Man game, which continues apace. Klaus said that Iron Man made “excellent progress this year, hitting a major internal milestone and laying a robust foundation for the journey ahead.” He added that Iron Man remains an “important priority” for the studio.
EA announced that it working on the Connected Battlefield Universe in 2021 and that it would be “interconnected with shared characters and narrative.” The project remains shrouded in mystery and is still some way off from release, but EA has repeatedly described the project as “ambitious,” which is reflected in the number of teams involved in its development.
EA recently underwent a series of layoffs impacting around 670 workers that included the cancellation of Respawn’s Star Wars FPS and the aforementioned closure of Ridgeline Games. It’s all part of a broader strategy of doubling down on owned franchises, CEO Andrew Wilson says, of which Battlefield is a significant part. Elsewhere, the games industry continues to be heavily impacted by layoffs, including Sony, Xbox, Riot, and other major publishers.
Neither Motive’s Untitled Iron Man game nor the Connected Battlefield Universe have a release date. You can find our list of the biggest games coming in 2024 right here.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
All content and images belong to their respected owners. This article is aggregated for informational purposes only with full credit to the source.
