With the next generation of gaming officially underway with the recent launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, its only a matter of time before the usual heavy hitters enter the fray such as the Battlefield franchise. Battlefield 6 has been confirmed by EA to be in active development, already creating a surge of hype among fans for when they can get a first look and possibly even a release date for this latest installment.
It is surprising that EA would choose to skip the launch of the new consoles to release the latest game, a strategy which at the beginning of the previous generation which saw Battlefield 4 released alongside the PS4 and Xbox One. The PS5 and Xbox Series X did have the latest Call of Duty available during the launch, however, so perhaps with a rival shooter franchise stealing some of the spotlight and the newest game still in development, EA decided to hold out a little longer. Of course, it could also be that the game wasn't simply ready yet.
Choosing When to Strike
The Battlefield series is one of EA's most popular IPs, so its first appearance in a shiny next gen coat of paint needs to be an impressive showcase. To be able to predict when Battlefield 6 will be shown in all of its glory, prior announcements and reveals for the series are a solid place to study pointers for EA's strategies. With some differences here and there, the Battlefield series has generally followed a similar reveal/release pattern. So although information on Battlefield 6 is slim right now, it's a fair bet that once its fully shown off, details on its release window won't be far behind.
When rewinding the clocks back to March 2013, for example, Battlefield 4 was officially unveiled with an impressive gameplay showcase that simultaneously showed off the new Frostbite 3 engine, with the full game itself being launched that fall with PS4 and Xbox One (as mentioned earlier). In the following years, Battlefield Hardline, Battlefield 1 and Battlefield 5 all skipped an early year presentation and instead opted for a more traditional E3 showcase, with gameplay demonstrations and confirmed releases dates for the fall season of their respective years.
Looking at past titles and rumors that Battlefield 6 will be available in 2021, its fair to assume that the first official look will be sometime in the coming months or at least by the E3 summer season (and if E3 is a thing). Not only are fans of the series clamoring for more information but gamers in general are hyped for more showcases of what this next generation of gaming is capable of, and with Battlefield always being an industry setting standard for grand scale and visual presentation, EA can capitalize on that double layer of hype even with a few months leading up to release. At the same time, this would also mean that if fans don't see it soon or by the mid-year at the latest, it's not likely to launch this year at all.
The Element of Surprise
This is all assuming that EA sticks to its traditional promotional plans and doesn't want to catch gamers off guard with the next game. EA and developer DICE reportedly have very ambitious ideas for Battlefield 6 and could want to ensure the game gets all the attention it deserves. This could result in Battlefield 6 completely bypassing its traditional fall release window, to not risk added competition from other heavy hitter franchises that usually launch during the same timeframe.
If the game's production is far enough along, Battlefield 6 could even get a jump start on its opposition by having an early reveal similar to Battlefield 3's around March this year but then a release date much sooner in the summer season. Triple-A video games tend to stick to the Fall and occasionally spring, so this would leave the summer wide open for Battlefield 6 to thrive in a truly unprecedented move on EA's part to give the game all the breathing room it needs. Of course, traditions are what they are, so of all things, this may even be more unlikely compared to it not releasing this year at all.
EA confirmed multiple releases through 2021 and 2022, so even ignoring competition from other companies, these new titles may be spread out enough to not overshadow one another. This leaves plenty of room throughout the coming months for a planned reveal and release, regardless of whether EA sticks to its tried and true methods or a more unconventional approach this time around. Until then, some fans will have itchy trigger fingers in anticipation to return to the franchise.
Battlefield 6 is in development for unspecified platforms.