During EA Play's 2020 Live showcase, there was an interesting tidbit shared at the end of the show from chief studios officer Laura Miele. Towards the end of the showcase, EA showed off some very early next-gen development footage from EA's first-party development studios like BioWare, Criterion, and DICE. "Our studios are taking their crazy, ambitious ideas and making them real," stated Miele. "Every console generation DICE sets the bar for excellence in audio and visual presentation. We are creating epic battles at a scale and fidelity unlike anything you've experienced before." This is almost certainly in reference to Battlefield 6, or whatever Battlefield title is currently in the works for 2021.
EA Play's last few moments, at least before the announcement of Skate's return, did show off some prototype gameplay of what appeared to be a Battlefield game. It's unclear if it was specifically Battlefield 6, as it showed what looked like World War II soldiers running across an untextured plane. This was likely a re-use of assets in a new/repurposed development environment, so it's not indicative of a World War II setting or the final product by any means. That being said, Battlefield 6 will certainly need to live up to the expectations Miele is setting for fans. It's been too long since a proper Battlefield game has had its time in the spotlight, but what she's inferring may be enough to reinvent the franchise after Battlefield 5's poor release.
A Very Slight Tease of Next-Gen Battlefield
In terms of what was specifically shown, the gameplay from DICE is very ambiguous. It's clearly an early prototype of gameplay for the next Battlefield game, but the assets themselves don't appear to be any different from Battlefield 5. It's very possible the prototype gameplay shown was a repurposing of assets from Battlefield 5 showcasing what next-gen processing is capable of. That being said, it shows about around a hundred of what appear to be rendered models (all potentially players) moving in a single space. There also was a scene showing a building collapsing, which was more than likely showcasing a new version of Battlefield's Destruction physics. Lastly, there were a few close-ups of an indistinct soldier's face rendered in high detail, though it wasn't clear if this was next-gen graphics rendered in-engine.
From a speculation standpoint, it's hard to truly read between the lines here. It's clear all of this prototype gameplay was shown at EA Play Live in service to getting fans excited by the potential technology that could go into the next Battlefield game, but there wasn't too much shown. Considering EA Play Live premiered in June, and a new Battlefield game is planned for 2021, this footage was likely captured very early on in the game's development.
How Battlefield 6Â Can Meet its "Crazy, Ambitious" Expectations
That being said, taking that prototype gameplay at face value, it's clear that EA is inferring these new improvements in player density/fidelity and destruction refinements will be Battlefield's key factors of success for next-gen. That's certainly not a bad thing, as having large-scale battlefields that evoke a simulation of war is exactly what Battlefield has done best in the past. The only major problem is that Battlefield 6 will need to make sure that these new additions are not just window dressing. These systemic improvements/refinements have to be done with purpose, not just for the sake of being technically impressive without any semblance of gameplay importance.
Battlefield has had an issue in the past with destruction not having any recognizable impact on gameplay. Previous titles like Battlefield: Bad Company 2 used to integrate the capability of destruction into its level design, which is partially what made Bad Company 2 one of the best games in the whole series. Games like Battlefield 3 onward tried to replicate the importance of destruction in different ways, but the "Levolution" mechanics ended up being lackluster in comparison. Alternatively, a higher player density in multiplayer games could make games like Conquest a bit more strategic with squad placements. Any capability to add more players on screen/in the lobby is perfect for Battlefield, which thrives on simulating large-scale warfare.
That being said, this is just an interpretation of the next-gen prototypes shown in EA Play Live earlier this year. EA and DICE have confirmed that a new Battlefield game (presumably Battlefield 6) is headed for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and currently has a 2021 release window planned. Occasionally rumors have come out about the next Battlefield game, some of which have been proven false, others have no evidence or backing. Overall, it'll be interesting to see what's truly in store for the once revered shooter franchise.
Battlefield 6 is reportedly in development.