A recent report highlights the publisher’s immense hopes for Battlefield 6 and the challenges faced in developing the campaign.
Battlefield 6 is anticipated to be officially revealed in the summer of 2025, with a launch expected within six to eight months thereafter. Numerous leaks have bred cautious optimism among fans, largely due to gameplay that strongly echoes the beloved eras of BF3 and BF4. A comprehensive report by Ars Technica on the development journey of this new installment has unveiled several issues, including significant pressure to succeed.
EA is banking everything on this release
An insider has indicated that EA is aiming for a staggering target of 100 million players for Battlefield 6 within an undetermined timeframe following its launch. This objective, however, appears exceedingly ambitious. One EA staff member remarked: “Battlefield has never hit such numbers before; BF2042 managed approximately 22 million players in the same span.”
While Battlefield 2042 was not the most widely embraced installment and is often deemed a major letdown, even Battlefield 1—the standout commercial success of the franchise—only attracted between 30 and 40 million players. Nevertheless, it appears the company is eager to swiftly recover the development expenses of BF6, which have escalated to over $400 million.
Figures that are hard to believe
Thus, EA is significantly raising its expectations—but the report suggests that only “a handful of individuals” at the multiplayer developer DICE genuinely believe this target is attainable. An unnamed employee declared:
No data from our market research indicates that we could even approach these numbers.
For context: Fortnite, one of the most-played games and largest entertainment products globally, amassed roughly 600 million registered accounts over eight years. However, Fortnite is free to play, eliminating any payment obstacle.
Single-player issues post-studio closure
A pivotal issue in the development of Battlefield 6 appears to be the single-player mode, from which initial footage was recently leaked. Reportedly, development began nearly from square one in 2024 after the shutting down of Ridgeline Studios, which was initially tasked with the campaign under the guidance of Halo creator Marcus Lehto.
EA’s Criterion (Need for Speed) and Motive (Dead Space 2023) studios were assigned the task of rebooting it, but have fallen significantly behind schedule: “By spring 2025, the campaign is the sole aspect of Battlefield 6 that has yet to reach alpha status,” the report states. There is speculation that sections of the campaign may need to be trimmed to meet the intended release date—although reports indicate that the narrative was only expected to last about six hours anyway.
Additional Battlefield challenges?
The report details other areas needing improvement. Here’s a quick summary:
– EA’s standard comprehensive budget, staffing, and risk assessments reportedly did not take place when full production began on the game.
– Delays could lead to either a substantial day-one patch or the deferral of features and modes to later updates.
– Cultural disparities between American and European teams, particularly between the Swedish developers at DICE and the U.S. leadership, are said to have caused friction.
– Development has reportedly been marked by “exceptional stress and long hours,” resulting in some staff being absent for extended periods.
In addition to the campaign from Motive/Criterion and the multiplayer from DICE, Battlefield 6 will also include a battle royale mode developed by Ripple Effect (BF1, BF5), which is rumored to launch as a free-to-play offshoot—likely reflecting CoD’s Warzone. EA aims to sidestep the pitfalls of BF2042 by enabling fans to engage and offer feedback early through Battlefield Labs. The testing program commenced in February 2025.
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