Summary
- The Battlefield franchise has been around for over two decades, with ups and downs, but remains influential and beloved.
- The series initially set itself apart with large-scale multiplayer battles and historical accuracy, but realism has taken a backseat over time.
- Each Battlefield game is set in a different historical period, from World War 1 and World War 2 to modern conflicts and even the future.
Making its debut all the way back in 2002, the Battlefield franchise is now over two decades old, and it's seen its fair share of entries in that time. From golden age titles like Battlefield 3 to more recent disappointments like Battlefield 2042, the series has seen plenty of ups and downs, but it still remains one of the most influential and beloved FPS franchises around.
When the series first began, Battlefield immediately set itself apart from its competitors by focusing on large-scale multiplayer battles, all of which had a healthy amount of historical accuracy, from the names of real-world military operations being used for maps, to the appearance of time-accurate weapons and outfits, to the use of vehicles. As time has gone on, the realism that once set Battlefield apart from its competitors has taken more of a backseat, but that hasn't meant that its more recent entries haven't fit within the same historical timeline.
The Real-Life Timeline of Every Battlefield Game
Battlefield 1 Is the First Game on the Timeline
Released in 2016, Battlefield 1 is far from the first entry in the franchise, but it is technically the first game in its chronological real-world timeline. Battlefield 1 covers the majority of the First World War, with its campaigns taking place between 1915 and 1918 and seeing players take control of various figures from multiple sides of the conflict. Battlefield 1's "The Runner" campaign takes place first, set during the 1915 Gallipoli Campaign. "Friends in High Places" comes next, taking place in 1917. Then "Nothing is Written," "Avanti Savoia!," "Storm of Steel," and "Through Mud and Blood" are all set during 1918, loosely in that order.
Battlefield V Covers the Entire Second World War
Attempting to be even more encompassing than its predecessor, Battlefield V essentially covers the entire six-year stretch of World War 2, and even reaches back to WW1 for its prologue. Taking place in chronological order, each of Battlefield V's War Stories is set roughly one year after the other, though each one sees players control a different character in a completely different location. After Battlefield V's introductory chapter, which follows Battlefield 1's Storm of Steel mission, the game jumps to 1942, and continues right up until the spring of 1945, chronicling the final efforts of the war.
Battlefield 1942 Takes Players Across WW2's Many Fronts
Technically set right in the middle of Battlefield V, Battlefield 1942 unsurprisingly takes place in 1942 during the height of World War 2. The first Battlefield game to ever release, one of 1942's biggest selling points at launch was its attempt to be as historically accurate as possible, with all of its maps being based on real-life WW2 battles and operations.
Battlefield Vietnam Takes Place in the 1960s
One of the few games in the Battlefield franchise to not actually be set in a specific year, Battlefield Vietnam takes place sometime during the American-Vietnam war, which lasted roughly 19 years in varying forms, between 1954 and 1973. Though, according to the in-game radio, it's heavily implied that Battlefield Vietnam takes place during the height of the conflict in the mid-1960s.
Battlefield 2's Modern Conflict Starts in 2007
Coming out two whole years before Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Battlefield 2 was the franchise's first foray into a modern-day conflict. Being predominantly a multiplayer game, Battlefield 2 doesn't have the most fleshed-out plot, though it does have a confirmed setting of 2007, where the world is at war once again, this time with the US and Europe going up against China, Russia, and the fictional Middle Eastern Coalition.
Battlefield Hardline Is a Smaller-Scale 2010s Adventure
An entry designed to offer a completely new type of Battlefield experience, Battlefield Hardline sees players thrust into a Miami drug war. Battlefield Hardline begins in 2012, with players taking control of a Miami detective named Nick Mendoza who's framed by fellow corrupt detectives and serves three years in prison. The rest of Battlefield Hardline takes place in 2015, with Mendoza escaping custody and trying to clear his name.
Battlefield 3 and 4 Cover Two Fictional 2010s Wars
Set over the course of nine months, the beloved Battlefield 3 campaign covers a fictional war simply referred to as the "War of 2014," where the US face off against various foes in the Iraq-Iran region. Battlefield 4 takes place six years later, with its own cleverly titled "War of 2020." Here, it's revealed that the US and Russia have been essentially at war since Battlefield 3, and now China is looking to throw its own hat in the ring.
Battlefield 2042 Blends Modern Realism with Futuristic Tech
With no single-player campaign, Battlefield 2042 doesn't have much of a story, but fans have been able to piece together some important world-building details. In the year 2040, the world is on the brink of total collapse, with the European Union breaking down completely, and tensions between the US and Russia at an all-time high. To make matters even worse, a Kessler Syndrome event occurs, causing the majority of Earth's satellites to crash into the planet. Two years later, war has broken out once again.
Battlefield 2142 Takes Players Far Into the Future
Technically the fourth mainline entry in the Battlefield franchise, Battlefield 2142 takes players into the far future. According to the game's loose story, in 2106 a new ice age began, displacing much of the world's population. Japan and Russia were two nations gravely affected by this, forming the Pan Asian Coalition to try and aid each other during the crisis. By 2142, the Pan Asian Coalition is at war with the European Union and the Union of African States over their natural resources.
The Battlefield Bad Company Series is an Outlier
While the rest of the Battlefield franchise can all fit loosely on the same timeline, the Battlefield Bad Company series can't. Set simply in the "near future," the Battlefield Bad Company series revolved around a Russian-American war that's never entirely explained. It's unclear exactly when these games take place, and this war is never mentioned in any future Battlefield title, suggesting that the Bad Company series might take place on an alternate timeline.
EA's Battlefield franchise is a series of first-person shooter games. The games have predominantly been set in the modern day, though there have also been titles set in World War 1, World War 2, and in the near future.
The Battlefield franchise is often compared to Call of Duty, with both franchises offering single-player campaigns and online multiplayer.