2021 is supposedly the year of Battlefield 6, and while fans are hoping for a proper return to form for the series, an uninspired or unfitting setting could derail the franchise’s return. While Battlefield 6 likely has a World War 3 focus, there has been no official confirmation regarding whether the many leaks are legitimate. As such, there is still potential for the sequel not to be set in the modern day, and if that is the case, there are a few settings that DICE should steer clear of.
With the previous entry in the Battlefield series being controversial, and fans demanding another modern entry in the series for years, Battlefield 6 has a clear path to success ahead. While it is likely that DICE will listen to the franchise’s player base and provide a heavily requested return to modern Battlefield, it is possible that DICE continues to push the envelope with its flagship series. If an unpredictable setting does come about, though, there are a few time periods that could prove disastrous.
The Civil War (1861-1865)
While a modern setting would give Battlefield 6 competition with Modern Warfare, facing off with Activision’s sales juggernaut would be a wiser alternative than going too far back into history. The Civil War has remained untouched in both Call of Duty and Battlefield franchises, and it is easy to understand why. While it is undoubtedly a major war and an important turning point in history, there would be little interesting about the setting from a gameplay perspective.
With the conflict essentially boiling down to two sides standing still and firing at each other while reloading wildly slow lever action rifles, it seems best that Battlefield avoids the Civil War. While there is fun to be had from Civil War simulation games, and DICE could play with history like it did during Battlefield 1, it would be better to avoid the setting entirely. With no vehicles apart from horses and a massive lack of weapon variety, The Civil War is a poor fit for the franchise.
World War 2 (1939-1945)
With Battlefield 5 already covering World War 2, covering the same setting in back-to-back games would hardly gain much interest. While the era offers some of the most iconic locations, weaponry, and vehicles in the history of military combat, many if not all have appeared in Battlefield 5. Further, the latest Battlefield title to take place in this era was not as well received as previous Battlefield games, with only Battlefield 5’s absurd easter eggs being loved by the entire community.
While some loved the game, many more criticized Battlefield 5 for half-baked gameplay concepts, disappointing maps, and a lack of historical accuracy. Beyond this, Battlefield 5’s failed Firestorm battle royale mode served as a final blow to the game after its release, making it a wise idea to give the setting some room to breathe. While Battlefield may one day find success in a return to the greatest conflict in mankind’s history, some distance should be put between Battlefield and World War 2 for the time being.
The Cold War (1947-1991)
With DICE supposedly having ambitious ideas for Battlefield 6 and its large scale gameplay, it is hard to imagine a worse potential setting than the Cold War. While there are plenty of interesting aspects to the time period, such as spies, experimentation, and conspiracies, the Cold War lacks significant battles to build from. While the Vietnam War and Korean War took place during the period and could be deserving of a game of their own, the Cold War itself is a poor fit for Battlefield for a few key reasons.
Not only does the setting go against Battlefield’s core values of large-scale warfare with high player counts and a mix of vehicle and infantry play, but the recent release of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War would likely lead to too much of the same. With many players preferring variety in their FPS games, seeing two of the biggest names in the genre dabbling with the Cold War would lead to some feeling that the setting was overdone. As such, DICE should avoid this time period along with the Civil War and World War 2.
Battlefield 6 in development for unspecified platforms.