Summary
- The next Battlefield may return to 64-player matches, a move that could address criticisms of previous installments and enhance map quality.
- Reports hint at a modern 2025-2030 setting with classic Battlefield elements like a four-class system in smaller lobbies for a familiar feel.
- A shift back to 64-player matches could add impact to the levolution mechanic and improve matchmaking times and server counts.
Discussion is beginning to rise around the next installment to the Battlefield franchise, with almost four years having passed since the release of Battlefield 2042. Although 2042 has made great strides in recent months, the overall reputation of the game has been somewhat damaging to the IP, and there is already an intense amount of pressure on the franchise's next project to get things back on track.
A lot of this discourse about the next Battlefield game concerns its potential setting and a possible return to single-player experiences, but some rumors aim to shed light on a return to basics for its multiplayer mode. One of these early rumors suggests that the next Battlefield will move away from 2042's 128-player matches in favor of a more traditional 64-player match system, and this could reap rewards in a lot of different areas.
Battlefield Returning to 64-Player Matches Could Fix a Lot of Problems
Details surrounding the next Battlefield game have been slim for some time, but a recent report by Insider Gaming has shaken this up in a big way. The report suggests that the next Battlefield project will use a modern setting of around 2025-2030, with a focus on traditional Battlefield franchise elements like the four-class sytem and smaller lobbies.
This seems like a smart move on DICE's part, with Battlefield 2042 facing a lot of criticism over the bold sweeping changes it made to its multiplayer experience. Many fans were initially excited at the prospect of 2042's jump to 128-player matches compared to the usual 64, but some found that this had a negative overall impact on the maps of the title as well as the pacing of its engagements.
The report states that the next Battlefield will fall back to 64-player matches, crucially capturing a more traditional feel that the latest franchise installment sorely lacked. 64-player matches will mean that the maps of the next game will be smaller, allowing DICE to release more of them with a higher level of attention to detail. This would also see the return of more obvious routes and combat hot-points, another element that was missing from a lot of 2042 maps.
While reports currently suggest that the next Battlefield will have 64-player matches, this could change in the run-up to its release.
Levolution Could Return in Full Force with a 64-Player Battlefield
Smaller maps would also be good news for levolution in the next title, a game mechanic which became a staple of the franchise with 2013's Battlefield 4. Levolution refers to Battlefield's huge environmental destruction sequences that players can trigger to change the look and play of a map. Unfortunately, levolution was employed in a lackluster way in 2042 thanks to the sheer scale of its locations. Many players have missed more focused and obvious levolution events in BF recently, and 64-player lobbies could finally bring this back with the next release.
Of course, a return to 64-player matches will have a positive impact in a lot of less pressing areas, with improved matchmaking times and higher server counts being one example of this. This, combined with a focus on traditional gameplay with more memorable maps and set pieces, makes a return to 64-player gameplay in the next Battlefield game a win for both DICE and the playerbase.
Battlefield 2042
- Released
- November 19, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
Battlefield 2042 is a first-person shooter that marks the return to the iconic all-out warfare of the franchise. With the help of a cutting-edge arsenal, engage in intense, immersive multiplayer battles.
Lead your team to victory in both large all-out warfare and close-quarters combat on maps from the world of 2042 and classic Battlefield titles. Find your playstyle in class-based gameplay and take on several experiences comprising elevated versions of Conquest and Breakthrough. Explore Battlefield Portal, a platform where players can discover, create, and share unexpected battles from Battlefield's past and present.
This game includes optional in-game purchases of virtual currency that can be used to acquire virtual in-game items.
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- DICE, Criterion Games, Ripple Effect
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
- Franchise
- Battlefield
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
- How Long To Beat
- N/A
- File Size Xbox Series
- 84 GB (June 2023)
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- PC, PS5 & Xbox Series X|S and PS4 & Xbox One
