A new leak apparently shows a brief glimpse of an upcoming battle royale mode for the next Battlefield game, and long-time fans are unsure how to feel.
The leak comes yet again from the Battlefield Labs client, a private test where players can try out and help shape the future of the next Battlefield game, which is currently untitled but assumed by most to be Battlefield 6. Other leaked gameplay videos have shown off the classic Battlefield mayhem, but this first look at BR is new.
According to the leak, which is a short video of the intro clip that plays before a BF6 battle royale match, the mode is set in California, features insertion via a CH-47 Chinhook helicopter, and the playing area shrinks due to a destructive ring made of a compound called "NXC." The mode is likely to be a free-to-play component of the bigger, premium BF6 package.
Battlefield previously tried a BR mode with Firestorm in Battlefield V, and it did not go well, and so player reaction to the leak is mixed. Many feel "burned" by Battlefield's previous mistakes in the series, while others say they are burnt out on the last-player-standing mode which blew up in popularity almost a decade ago. But according to a report by Ars Technica, publisher Electronic Arts is banking on it being a big success.
EA is reportedly aiming for a whopping 100 million players in the new Battlefield game. This number is shocking, especially considering that Battlefield 1 had only ever achieved "maybe 30 million plus," according to an unnamed EA employee sourced in the report.
BF6, known internally as "Glacier," also had an original budget of $400 million but has since surpassed it, according to the report, so the lofty 100 million player goal is EA likely aiming to recoup the costs of development in addition to making a profit off of the FPS franchise.
All of this is in addition to reported "culture clashes, ballooning budgets, and major disruptions that have left many team members fearful that parts of the game will not be finished to players' satisfaction in time for launch during EA's fiscal year," the report said.
I have no idea if BF6's BR mode will be good enough to reach EA's goals. I don't even know if the mode is all that popular anymore, or if the game can pull fans away from existing titles like Fortnite and Warzone. But the next few months appear to be pivotal when it comes to the Battlefield franchise's future.
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