Despite the well-documented issues with Battlefield 2042, Electronic Arts today said it’s “all-in on Battlefield (opens in new tab),” and announced that a new studio called Ridgeline Games, led by Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto, will develop an all-new campaign “set in the Battlefield universe”.
Lehto joined EA (opens in new tab) in October 2021 after his Disintegration project, developed in his first post-Halo studio V1 Interactive, failed to take off. EA said at the time that the new studio Lehto headed would be “focused on developing first-person shooters,” though no further details were revealed. Today’s announcement gives a clearer picture of what that group is focusing on.
“Marcus will bring his long legacy of creating fascinating worlds and gripping stories to Battlefield,” said Battlefield General Manager Byron Beede in today’s announcement. Backed by a world-class team, he will lead the development of a narrative campaign set in the Battlefield universe that will engage fans in new and exciting ways, while staying true to the classic elements of the series.”
The announcement confirms what was already known thanks to a job posting in July that revealed that Lehto’s studio, then unnamed, is working on a single-player Battlefield campaign. It wasn’t clear at the time whether the campaign would be a mode within a larger, multiplayer-focused Battlefield game, or something completely standalone, but the fact that it happened was good news. The absence of single-player action wasn’t the only problem (or most pressing) of Battlefield 2042, but it certainly was felt.
EA has clarified on Twitter that Ridgeline’s campaign will not be part of Battlefield 2042.
To clarify, the new narrative campaign experience @RidgelineGames is working on is not part of #Battlefield 2042. It is set in the Battlefield universe.September 8, 2022
Ridgeline’s campaign is just one part of what Beede described as “a global effort, coordinating multiple studios under a leadership team of industry veterans to build a connected Battlefield universe.” Original Battlefield studio DICE will continue to develop the multiplayer portion of the game, while Ripple Effect Studios, formerly known as DICE LA, is “focused on creating an all-new Battlefield experience that complements and builds on the base of the series.”
“The next generation of Battlefield creators is a global team of talented, hungry individuals committed to taking the series to new heights,” said Beede. “This team is made up of veterans who have spent years working on the series, as well as new industry talent, all of whom bring years of experience working on incredible titles to the Battlefield universe.”
Respawn Entertainment co-founder Vince Zampella, who became head of the series (opens in new tab) in December 2021, said the move demonstrates EA’s commitment to the long-term future of Battlefield.
“With Marcus and his team at Ridgeline Games joining the world-class global team we already have, Battlefield is in the strongest position to succeed,” said Zampella.
However, one of the longest-serving veterans in the Battlefield series won’t be around to help with the effort: creative director Lars Gustavsson (opens in new tab), whose credits for the series stretch back 20 years to the original Battlefield 1942, is leaving the studio. Gustavsson’s departure comes less than a year after former DICE director Oskar Gabrielson.
“Creative Director Lars Gustavsson, who has been with the franchise since its inception and is affectionately known as Mr Battlefield, has decided he is ready for a new adventure. We want to thank him for his invaluable experience, expertise and friendship to all.” these years,” Beede said.
“Lars has devoted a significant portion of his life to Battlefield and is proud to have helped shape the franchise into what it is today. He is excited to pass the baton to the next generation of Battlefield creators at DICE, Ripple Effect , Industrial Toys, and Ridgeline games.”
The move to a multi-studio effort mirrors the system used to great success by Activision in the Call of Duty series. Development of the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (opens in new tab), for example, is led by Infinity Ward, with support from Activision Central Design, Activision QA, Activision Shanghai, Beenox, Demonware, High Moon Studios, Raven Software, Sledgehammer Games, Toys for Bob and Treyarch. Call of Duty, which includes a single-player campaign, conventional multiplayer modes, and a live-service battle royale, is just too big for one (or even two) studios, and it seems clear that EA is aiming for similar heights for Battlefield.
The good news for Battlefield fans is that EA’s perseverance is paying off: Season 2 has just kicked off and reactions so far seem generally positive – or at least cautiously hopeful – and there’s a real rise too. in the number of players on Steam, from an average number of concurrent players of less than 2,000 in May to more than 5,700 (opens in new tab) over the past 30 days: Still far from a real hit, but a definite move in the right direction.
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