Today, EA announced a major shake-up in its rows with one mutual and clear intention. The development studio wants to expand the Battlefield franchise into something huge, as they like to say it, “a connected Battlefield universe.” This doesn’t only rely on a much better and improved Battlefield Portal by Ripple Effect but instead, lean towards creating something much bigger. Judging by the recent interview, it seems that the game wants to reach other gaming platforms as well, which will all fall under one roof, eventually.
The major shake-up includes a departure of Oskar Gabrielson, which place has been taken by Vince Zampella, co-founder of Apex Legends and Titanfall developer Respawn Entertainment. In a recent Tweet, Oskar Gabrielson announced his departure and stated that “DICE has some of the best talent in the industry and the team is in great hands. I’ll be here to support the transition over the next few months before I head out on my new adventure. I can promise you all there is a lot to look forward to on the Battlefield!”
Starting today, Vince Zampella’s job is to take care of the Battlefield franchise and make it something great. This also involves a new development studio of EA whose head is Marcus Lehto, known for his contribution to the making of Halo. In a recent interview with Gamespot, Vince Zampella, the Respawn co-founder who is now head of the Battlefield franchise, said that the intent is not to replace Battlefield 2042 but instead to make a “connected Battlefield Universe.”
On the expansion of the Battlefield franchise, Vince Zampella said the following:
We intend to build a Battlefield universe, one with multiple projects that are interconnected with the player at the center. We plan to grow Battlefield and meet players where they play through various experiences and business models, including our upcoming Battlefield Mobile coming in 2022 from Alex Seropian and Industrial Toys.
While the development of this so-called Battlefield universe is ongoing or just starting, Ripple Effect confirmed they would continue supporting Battlefield Portal in the long run. There’s no intention in giving up on Battlefield Portal, as it the only tool favored by the users in Battlefield 2042.
Just a reminder. Even if Battlefield 2042 launched without a single-player campaign, Marcus Lehto’s new Seattle-based studio could be already working on one. So, there’s no reason for despair at all. Players will be satisfied in the end, and it wouldn’t be the first time to see EA making a strong comeback.
