UPDATE: EA has announced that “Battlefield 6” will officially be known as Battlefield V.
ORIGINAL STORY: Electronic Arts isn’t afraid of Call of Duty’s return to World War II this Fall, and company executives recently laid out their plans for the Battlefield franchise during the company’s most quarterly financial report.
First, CEO Andrew Wilson confirmed that Battlefield 6 will be released in 2018. Discussing the publisher’s plans for next year, he said, “We’ll continue delivering for our Battlefield fans, including the next great game in the franchise.”
However, it looks like Battlefield 1 will also play a big role in EA’s future. In addition to next year’s sequel, Wilson announced that a “Game of the Year Edition” is in the works, as well as an official Esports Mode:
We will detail our plan for a new offering that will bring the richest Battlefield 1 experience yet, including the all-out warfare, epic multiplayer battles, and War Stories campaign that have defined the game plus new maps, deeper progression, and additional fan-favorite game modes, all in a single package.
At Gamescom, we’ll debut a new way to play Battlefield 1 built for competition and designed with direct input from our Battlefield community. Through a growing portfolio of digital and traditional broadcast deals, our spectator reach will continue to expand, with major brands set to engage this high-value audience through global sponsorships.
Blake Jorgensen, the company’s Chief Financial Officer, further elaborated on Battlefield 1’s Esports Mode later in the report:
People have used Battlefield as an esports product for many years outside of EA. It’s a fun fast-paced game. But with 64-player multiplayer, it’s a bit hectic and chaotic for esports. And so you’ll see some new modes coming out that will benefit a more rational esports approach, and pretty exciting for us for this year and really powering next year and the year after off of that title.
Battlefield 1’s “Game of the Year Edition” and Esports Mode will both be available sometime later this year.
