First Official Look at New Battlefield Gameplay as EA Reveals Battlefield Labs News - Latest Updates and Information

EA Unveils Battlefield Labs and Battlefield Studios: A Return to Form

EA has offered a first look at its upcoming Battlefield game, alongside details about its development structure and player testing initiative, Battlefield Labs. A short pre-alpha gameplay video accompanied the announcement.

The new Battlefield is being developed under the "Battlefield Studios" banner, a collaborative effort involving four studios: DICE (Stockholm), Motive, Ripple Effect, and Criterion. Each studio has a specific role: DICE handles multiplayer development; Motive contributes to single-player missions and multiplayer maps; Ripple Effect focuses on attracting new players; and Criterion is responsible for the single-player campaign.

This marks a return to a traditional, linear single-player campaign after the multiplayer-only Battlefield 2042. EA is currently in a crucial development phase and seeks player feedback through Battlefield Labs. This program will test various aspects of the game, from core combat and destruction to weapon balance and map design. Playtesters will need to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).

Battlefield Labs is designed to bring in playtesters for the new Battlefield. Concept art credit: Electronic Arts.

EA emphasizes the importance of player feedback in refining the game's core elements, including Conquest and Breakthrough modes, and improving the class system. Testing will initially involve a few thousand players in Europe and North America, expanding to tens of thousands later.

The new Battlefield will feature a modern setting, returning to the style of Battlefield 3 and 4, after the departures into World War I, World War II, and the near future. Concept art previously revealed hints of ship-to-ship and helicopter combat, as well as natural disasters. The game will also revert to 64-player maps and eliminate the Specialist system from Battlefield 2042.

EA acknowledges the pressure to deliver a successful game following the mixed reception of Battlefield 2042. The company is investing heavily in the project, utilizing multiple studios and aiming to recapture the trust of longtime fans while expanding the Battlefield universe to attract new players. A release date, platforms, and official title remain unannounced.