EA Announces Next Battlefield Game for Fiscal Year 2026

EA has officially announced that the next installment in the renowned Battlefield series is set to launch during their fiscal year 2026, spanning from April 2025 to March 2026. This news came as part of EA's financial results for the third quarter of the fiscal year ending March 2025. Alongside this announcement, EA provided a first official glimpse of the game through pre-alpha footage, introducing their new initiative, Battlefield Labs. This initiative focuses on player-driven testing and innovation, encouraging community involvement in the game's development process.

EA has also introduced Battlefield Studios, a collective of four studios dedicated to the development of the new game. These include DICE in Stockholm, Sweden, focusing on multiplayer; Motive, known for the Dead Space remake and Star Wars: Squadrons, working on single-player missions and multiplayer maps; Ripple Effect in the U.S., tasked with attracting new players to the franchise; and Criterion in the UK, previously involved with Need For Speed, now concentrating on the single-player campaign. EA emphasizes that these teams are now in a "critical" phase of development, actively seeking player feedback to refine the game before its release.

The development process will leverage Battlefield Labs to test various game elements, starting with core combat and destruction mechanics, and progressing to weapons, vehicles, gadgets, maps, modes, and squad play. Classic modes like Conquest and Breakthrough will be included, but the initiative also aims to explore new ideas and enhance the class system to deepen strategic gameplay.

It's important to note that despite the focus on the new game, EA shut down Ridgeline Games last year, a studio that was developing a standalone single-player Battlefield game with a strong narrative focus. Additionally, EA revealed in September that the new Battlefield will return to a modern setting, a departure from the historical and futuristic settings of recent entries. The game is expected to feature ship-to-ship and helicopter combat, as well as natural disasters like wildfires.

Vince Zampella, Head of Respawn and Group GM for EA Studios, has expressed intentions to recapture the essence of the series' peak with Battlefield 3 and 4, signaling a nostalgic return to the franchise's roots. This move aims to address the criticisms faced by Battlefield 2042, which introduced the controversial Specialist system and larger 128-player maps that were later scaled back to 64 players due to fan feedback. The upcoming game plans to maintain the 64-player format and eliminate the Specialist system.

The stakes are high for this new Battlefield title following the mixed reception of its predecessor. EA CEO Andrew Wilson has described it as one of the "most ambitious projects" in EA's history, highlighting the significant investment and the collective effort under the "Battlefield Studios" banner. Zampella's vision is to not only win back the core Battlefield community but also to expand the franchise's appeal, offering diverse experiences within the Battlefield universe without requiring players to look elsewhere.

While EA has yet to reveal the specific launch platforms or the final title for the new Battlefield game, the anticipation continues to build as the development progresses toward its expected fiscal year 2026 release.