Battlefield (video game series)

Battlefield
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Developer(s)	DICE Other Easy Studios (2009, 2011) Neowiz Games (2010) Visceral Games (2015) Criterion Games (2019, 2021–) Ripple Effect Studio (2021-)
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts
Creator(s)	Johan Persson
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, OS X, PlayStation 2, Xbox, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Android, iOS, Kindle Fire
First release	Battlefield 1942 September 10, 2002
Latest release	Battlefield 2042 November 19, 2021

Battlefield is a series of first-person shooter video games developed by Swedish company EA DICE and is published by American company Electronic Arts. It started out on Microsoft Windows and OS X with Battlefield 1942, which was released in 2002. The Battlefield series has been played by more than 50 million players worldwide as of August 2012.

The series features a particular focus on large maps, teamwork and combined arms warfare. The PC games in the series are mainly focused on online multiplayer.

Gameplay

Battlefield series games usually focus on large-scale, online multiplayer battles. Playing in squads has become a major element of games in the series. Apart from soldiers, also tanks, airplanes, and other vehicles may participate in these battles.

Since Battlefield 2, the series centrally recorded online stats for each player, allowing users to receive rank promotions and weapon unlocks based on their performance as well as awards such as medals, ribbons, and pins.

A class system is present within all the Battlefield games. Each class features a different type of primary weapon along with different equipment, differentiating roles on the battlefield.

The ability to engage other players in melee combat with a knife has been present in Battlefield games. Since Battlefield 2142, the series has included an award of dog tags for each player killed using a knife.

Since the introduction of Frostbite, almost fully destructible maps have become one of the most well-known features of the series.

Games

Titles in the Battlefield series

Year	Engine	Title	Platform(s)
			Windows	macOS	PS2	Xbox	PS3	X360	PS4	XONE	PS5	XSX/S	ANDR	iOS
2002	Refractor 1	Battlefield 1942	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
2003		■ Battlefield 1942: The Road to Rome	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
		■ Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
2004		Battlefield Vietnam	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
2005	Refractor 2	Battlefield 2	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
	RenderWare / Proprietary Engine	Battlefield 2: Modern Combat	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
	Refractor 2	■ Battlefield 2: Special Forces	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
2006		■ Battlefield 2: Euro Force	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
		■ Battlefield 2: Armored Fury	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
		Battlefield 2142	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
2007		■ Battlefield 2142: Northern Strike	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
2008	Frostbite 1.0	Battlefield: Bad Company	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
2009	Refractor 2	Battlefield Heroes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
	Frostbite 1.5	Battlefield 1943	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
2010		Battlefield: Bad Company 2	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
		■ Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
	Refractor 2	Battlefield Online	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
2011		Battlefield Play4Free	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
	Frostbite 2	Battlefield 3	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
		■ Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
2012		■ Battlefield 3: Close Quarters	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
		■ Battlefield 3: Armored Kill	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
		■ Battlefield 3: Aftermath	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
2013		■ Battlefield 3: End Game	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
	Frostbite 3	Battlefield 4	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
		■ Battlefield 4: China Rising	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
2013/2014†		■ Battlefield 4: Second Assault	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
2014		■ Battlefield 4: Naval Strike	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
		■ Battlefield 4: Dragon's Teeth	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
		■ Battlefield 4: Final Stand	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
2015		■ Battlefield 4: Weapons Crate	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
		■ Battlefield 4: Night Operations	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
		■ Battlefield 4: Community Operations	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
		■ Battlefield 4: Legacy Operations	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
		Battlefield Hardline	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
		■ Battlefield Hardline: Criminal Activity	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
		■ Battlefield Hardline: Robbery	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
		■ Battlefield Hardline: Blackout	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
2016		■ Battlefield Hardline: Getaway	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
		■ Battlefield Hardline: Betrayal	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
		Battlefield 1	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
2017		■ Battlefield 1: They Shall Not Pass	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
		■ Battlefield 1: In the Name of the Tsar	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
		■ Battlefield 1: Turning Tides	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
2018		■ Battlefield 1: Apocalypse	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
		Battlefield V	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
		■ Battlefield V: Overture	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
		■ Battlefield V: Lightning Strikes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
2019		■ Battlefield V: Trial by Fire	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
		■ Battlefield V: Defying the Odds	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
		■ Battlefield V: War in the Pacific	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
2020		■ Battlefield V: Into the Jungle	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
		■ Battlefield V: Summer Update	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
2021	Frostbite	Battlefield 2042	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
2022		■ Battlefield 2042: Zero Hour	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
		■ Battlefield 2042: Master of Arms	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
		■ Battlefield 2042: Escalation	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
2023		■ Battlefield 2042: Eleventh Hour	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
		■ Battlefield 2042: New Dawn	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
		■ Battlefield 2042: Dark Creations	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Cancelled	Unreal Engine 4	Battlefield Mobile	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Notes: ■ DLC located directly below the title it was released for. † Was released exclusively for Xbox One in 4th quarter 2013, then was released for the remaining platforms in 1st quarter 2014.

Development history

Aggregate review scores

Game	Year	Metacritic
Battlefield 1942	2002	89/100
Battlefield Vietnam	2004	84/100
Battlefield 2	2005	91/100
Battlefield 2142	2006	80/100
Battlefield 3	2011	PC: 89/100 PS3: 85/100 X360: 84/100
Battlefield 4	2013	PC: 81/100 PS3: 80/100 PS4: 85/100 X360: 79/100 XONE: 81/100
Battlefield 1	2016	PC: 88/100 PS4: 89/100 XONE: 87/100
Battlefield V	2018	PC: 81/100 PS4: 73/100 XONE: 78/100
Battlefield 2042	2021	PC: 68/100 PS5: 63/100 XSX/S: 64/100

Battlefield 1942 was released on September 10, 2002, using the Refractor game engine, and set in World War II. It introduced the "Conquest" gameplay mode, in which players fought for "control points" throughout the map. Two expansion packs were released.

Battlefield Vietnam, released in 2004, moved the setting to the Vietnam War, and was built on an updated Refractor engine with various gameplay improvements, such as the ability to fire personal weapons while seated in vehicles, and visualizing dense foliage.

The 2005 release Battlefield 2 takes place in the modern day, depicting a war between the United States and China and the fictional Middle Eastern Coalition (MEC). Despite requiring numerous patches due to a large number of bugs and glitches in the game upon its release, it was a large commercial success, selling more than 2,250,000 copies worldwide, by July 2006. One expansion pack, Special Forces, which added Russia, exclusive missions, and new weapons and gadgets, and two booster packs, Armored Fury (adding three new battles in the USA) and Euro Force (adding the European Union), were also released. A similar game called Battlefield 2: Modern Combat was released for consoles, with a larger single player mode but limited online play.

Battlefield 2142 was released in 2006, taking place during a global ice age in the 22nd century. While most of it is graphically similar to Battlefield 2, it introduced a variety of equipment to unlock and battles between two giant "Titan" airships. The Northern Strike expansion pack was later released, adding new maps, vehicles, and a new game mode. Its use of in-game advertising was controversial among players and not well received.

Battlefield: Bad Company, released in 2008, is set in a near-future war between the United States and Russia, and follows a US Army company's escapades and their search for hidden gold. This new Battlefield game had a variety of vehicles for land, air and sea. It had a new destruction system that allowed the player to break and destroy environments, based on a new game engine named Frostbite, which replaced the Refractor engine used in earlier releases (with the exception of Battlefield 2: Modern Combat, which used RenderWare).

In 2009, EA released two download-only games, Battlefield Heroes, a free-to-play Refractor 2 engine game, supported by advertising and micropayments and Battlefield 1943, a Frostbite engine game, released in July 2009, for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and was scheduled for release in Q1 2010, for PCs, but was cancelled.

In 2010, a sequel to Battlefield: Bad Company, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, was released, involving "B" Company's search for an electromagnetic pulse weapon. It features a larger multiplayer than its predecessor Bad Company, with updated graphics and realistic effects (e.g. bullet-drop). The game introduced the rush game mode and brought in weapons. It features a "VIP" system of content distribution where player with VIP codes gain early access to new maps. DICE also released an expansion for Bad Company 2, Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam, setting the game in the Vietnam War.

Battlefield 3 was announced in 2009, and in 2010 it was confirmed that gamers who pre-ordered Medal of Honor Limited Edition would receive Battlefield 3 forty-eight hours before the open beta was released. On February 4, 2011, the first teaser trailer for the game was revealed, with a preliminary release in the Fall of 2011. Among the features that remain in the game are Jets and the ability to go prone. The game allows 64 (on the PC) players as in all previous Battlefield titles, though the consoles allow for 24-player matches. The Battlefield 3 Beta was released on September 29, 2011. Battlefield 3 was released on October 25, 2011 and has received high review scores and has received awards from IGN.

On November 5, 2010, EASY Studios announced a follow-up to its free-to-play Battlefield Heroes, Battlefield Play4Free. EASY develops the free-to-play variants of Battlefield. Its latest offering gives players the same free-to-play pricing structure of Heroes, while still offering a more serious, core Battlefield experience (as opposed to Heroes' lighthearted, cartoon-styled environment). Battlefield Play4Free went into open beta on April 4, 2011.

Battlefield 4 was announced on March 26, 2013. On July 17, 2012, it was announced that players who pre-order Medal of Honor: Warfighter would receive access to a Battlefield 4 beta. The beta for the game began on October 1 and ended on October 15 with a full release on October 29, 2013.

Information about the next entry in the series, Battlefield Hardline, was leaked on May 27, 2014, and officially unveiled on June 9, 2014, during E3. The game was developed by Visceral Games and, unlike previous installments in the franchise, is centered around a cops-and-robbers theme.

Battlefield: Bad Company 3 was an upcoming entry into the series, a follow-up to 2010's Battlefield: Bad Company 2. General Manager of DICE, Karl-Magnus Troedsson stated in a 2014 interview with Eurogamer that the game is not in active development as the studio doesn't know what exactly fans loved about the series as there has never been a clear line of the matter and they do not want to risk destroying the series. Despite this, DICE has made it clear that they will be developing Bad Company 3 at some point.

In July 2015, CFO of EA Blake Jorgensen announced a new Battlefield title would be released in 2016. This was followed up by Dan Vaderlind, EA DICE Development Director, announcing that since Star Wars Battlefront has been released, he will now be focused on the upcoming Battlefield title. On May 6, 2016, Battlefield 1 was officially announced, with an official reveal trailer on YouTube, and was released on October 21, 2016.

In a May 2018 live reveal event it was confirmed that it the next installment would be a World War II game after several leaks suggested it would be set during this period, with the title revealed as Battlefield V. Battlefield V was released later that year on November 20, 2018 while also offering certain players early access to the game as early as November 9, 2018.

Battlefield 2042 was released on November 19, 2021. During EA's 2020/2021 Q3 earnings call it was revealed that the game will be the first to release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, utilizing their processing power to feature more players than ever in the online portion of the game. Additionally, it saw multiple innovations in multiplayer, social, and competition aspects that are new to the franchise. After 2042 was met with a poor launch, it was announced that Oskar Gabrielson, the general manager of DICE, would be stepping down from his position, and Rebecka Coutaz, former Managing Director of Ubisoft Annecy, would replace him. Vince Zampella of Respawn Entertainment and Ripple Effect Studios (the latter of which had created 2042's Portal Mode) will be heading the Battlefield franchise. It was also reported that EA game director Marcus Lehto is building a new Seattle-based studio focused on story content for Battlefield, while Ripple Effect is developing a new "Battlefield experience" set in the game's universe.

Battlefield Mobile was a cancelled free-to-play game for the Android, with an iOS release initially planned before the game's cancellation on January 31, 2023. An open beta was released in November 2022. The game was cancelled on January 31, 2023. The developer of the game, Industrial Toys, was also shut down.

TV series

In October 2012, Fox Broadcasting Company announced their intentions to make a one-hour-long television show based on Battlefield: Bad Company. The show was to be written by executive producer John Eisendrath and co-produced by Patrick Bach and Patrick O'Brien of Electronic Arts, and Doug Robinson of Happy Madison. Nothing has been developed after their announcement.

In July 2016, Paramount Television announced that it will adapt the game series for television. Anonymous Content's Michael Sugar and Ashley Zalta will executive produce.