EA Confirms 'Battlefield 4'; DICE Holding Talks at GDC Europe?

Game Rant

By GR Staff

Published Jul 17, 2012

EA accidentally leaked it this weekend - now it's official: 'Battlefield 4' is in development as the next shooter in the stalwart franchise. A new report suggests that we might even hear more sooner than expected.

Battlefield 4 EA Medal of Honor Confirmed

Following this weekend's Battlefield 4 outing through a Medal of Honor: Warfighter pre-order advertisement, EA and DICE's element of surprise in releasing any "official" announcement regarding the shooter's existence was whittled down to zero - despite swiftly replacing the squib in a matter of minutes.

Nonetheless, Electronic Arts has now confirmed that Battlefield 4 is in development. In fact they did so by verifying the aforementioned Battlefield 4 beta keys, available in pre-orders of Warfighter's "Limited Edition."

No new details were released on Battlefield 4 itself - those are scheduled to "be revealed at a later date," according to the EA press release - but we can begin to theorize when the shooter will start hitting stores.

The availability of the beta was confirmed for "Fall 2013," and if we remember back to the Battlefield 3 beta in 2011, that one had a September 29 release to coincide with BF3's full launch on October 25. Battlefield 3 beta keys were even a pre-order perk for 2010's Medal of Honor Limited Edition. With EA having lapsed into an annual autumn grove - Medal of Honor, Battlefield 3, and now Medal of Honor: Warfighter all adhere to the October release window - Battlefield 4 might be arriving sooner than some of us expected.

And so might the chatter. According to a CVG report, DICE has carved out GDC Europe, which runs from August 13-15 this Summer, as an event to spotlight the Battlefield franchise. Studio boss Karl Magnus Troedsson will be helming a speaker session, in which the event's organizer asserts he'll focus on "how to innovate in a long running franchise, build and support a loyal fan base, and transform gaming from a fire-and-forget business to living, breathing entertainment entity."

Granted, that all sounds like what the company has already done with Battlefield 3. When the game released to stellar reviews and sterling sales last year, EA and DICE achieved what Modern Combat, Bad Company and Bad Company 2 never could: they made the Battlefield name gold-plated on both consoles and the PC. It's entirely possible, then, that the developer is headed to GDC Europe only to reminisce and perhaps leaven out more on Battlefield Premium and its next DLC.

But as the developer begins to navigate those transitory waters - segueing from the most successful installment in Battlefield history to a game that no doubt aims to be bigger, better, more consuming of the Call of Duty pie - the first Battlefield 4 details are bound to slip out at some point. If October's Medal of Honor: Warfighter, like its predecssor, serves as a one-year countdown, GDC isn't a bad place to start.

Ranters, now that EA has officially confirmed Battlefield 4, are you ready for more concrete info the game? Is it still too soon with Battlefield 3 in full swing, or might GDC Europe see some action for the next installment in the legendary franchise?

Follow me on Twitter @Brian_Sipple.

Source: CVG