Published , by Bill Lavoy
Published , by Bill Lavoy
Today, Electronic Arts announced that Ridgeline Games was the newest studio to join its ranks of over 20 development teams and would be working on a new narrative campaign set in the Battlefield universe.
Ridgeline Games joins DICE and Ripple Effect in Battlefield development, with the studio being run by Marcus Lehto, co-creator of Halo and Game Director on the upcoming narrative-driven Battlefield experience. “It is a great honor to have the opportunity to collaborate with DICE and Ripple Effect and lead the charge on expanding the narrative, storytelling and character development opportunities in the Battlefield series,” said Lehto.
An interesting question that immediately came to mind with this news was whether this new narrative experience would be a new game, or simply an addition to Battlefield 2042. On one hand, nowhere in the press release from EA is there mention of a new game. On the other hand, Letho’s title includes Game Director. That question was answered quickly, however, with the official Battlefield Twitter account stating, "For clarification: The new narrative campaign experience Ridgeline Games is working on is not part of Battlefield 2042. It will be set in the Battlefield universe."
The entire Battlefield franchise is now under the watchful eye of Vince Zampella, a move made by EA after Battlefield 2042 launched in a poor state and fell well below player expectations in 2021. By most accounts, recent updates to Battlefield 2042 have been good, with players happy with the new content on offer and the series looking to re-work the Specialist system to fit into the class-based system the series is known for. While that change is expected to come in Season 3, Battlefield 2042 just launched Season 2: Master of Arms on August 30, 2022.
It feels like the Battlefield franchise is getting things turned around, but this isn’t a series that has earned the trust of its players. At this point, Battlefield is notorious for poor launches followed by marathon development efforts to right the wrongs. In fact, it may be known more for poor launches than it is for the groundbreaking Battlefield experiences in years past. The task of DICE, Ripple Effect, and now Ridgeline Games will be to not only salvage Battlefield 2042, but see the series return to its former glory. You can keep tabs on that journey by following the Battlefield topic on Shacknews.