One of EA's biggest franchises is Battlefield, with the company recently confirming that the next Battlefield game will be revealed this spring with a planned release later this year. Details on the next Battlefield game remain scarce at the time of this writing. EA hasn't revealed the setting, player count specifics, or anything of that nature, but it seems as though fans can check off one possibility when it comes to the next Battlefield.
Those hoping for the next Battlefield game to be Battlefield: Bad Company 3 will likely be disappointed. Industry insider Jeff Grubb indicated as much on Twitter, saying that the next Battlefield is not Bad Company 3 last he heard. However, he also revealed that EA apparently once had Battlefield: Bad Company and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 remasters in development, only to put development on hold when Vince Zampella was made head of DICE LA, which is currently working on an original project.
Grubb expanded on what he's heard about Battlefield: Bad Company remasters, saying that EA wants to be "very careful" when it moves forward with a new Bad Company game. Evidently, EA sees the Battlefield: Bad Company franchise as a big card it could play, and it doesn't want to botch its big return.
Regardless, it's a bit strange that EA still hasn't moved forward with Battlefield: Bad Company 3 or Battlefield: Bad Company remasters. Battlefield: Bad Company 3 rumors have persisted over the years due to a desire by fans for a new game in the series, and considering the massive success of Battlefield: Bad Company 2, that's no surprise. For those who may not remember, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 was one of the most critically-acclaimed games in the entire Battlefield series, and it also sold over 12 million units.
In the years since Battlefield: Bad Company 2's successful launch, DICE and EA have focused their efforts on more traditional Battlefield games instead. This includes 2013's Battlefield 4, the World War 1-set Battlefield 1, and the WW2-set Battlefield V. While fairly successful in their own right, only Battlefield 1 managed to outperform Bad Company 2 sales-wise, and none of them have been as well-received by critics.
Maybe DICE will reconsider developing a Battlefield: Bad Company game after the 2021 Battlefield game is out. Then again, if the 2021 Battlefield is a more traditional entry in the series and turns out to be a major success, maybe they will be convinced to stick with that style of game instead. Whatever the case may be, fans will find out more about EA's Battlefield plans later this spring.