There has been no shortage ofBattlefield 6rumors as of late, with players learning quite a bit about the project through various leaks. Fromfully destructible citiesto a World War 3 setting and a player count of 128, the nextBattlefieldgame is shaping up to be and interesting one. However, one of the newest rumors suggests that the franchise could be taking inspiration from one big decision that was made for 2019’sCall of Duty: Modern Warfaregame.
This rumor is particularly interesting considering just how different the two franchises are, as little similarities betweenBattlefield 6andCall of Duty: Modern Warfareexist apart from their settings and the first-personperspective. However, this leak could change that, as one simple move could have huge implications for the Battlefield franchise. While this is still only a rumor and should be taken with a grain of salt, fans can expect some big things if it proves true.
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An End To The Current Naming Convention
The leak in question comes from Tom Henderson, who has proven to be a fairly reputable source in the past. According to Henderson,Battlefield 6willnot be calledBattlefield 6at all — instead, it will drop the format of numbered titles entirely.Battlefield 6will instead simply be called “Battlefield,” marking a fresh start for DICE’s beloved FPS franchise. If this sound familiar, that is because it is, asCall of Duty’sModern Warfare subseries did the same less than two years ago.
WiththeModern Warfaretrilogywrapped up back in 2011, Infinity Ward’s return to the modern era saw the developer starting from scratch. Though characters like Captain Price and Gaz made a return, and more figures returned via the game’s post-laucnh Seasons of content, the old story was left behind. In its place, a fresh tale was told, with this one focusing on the new character Farah and her country’s fight for freedom. Beyond just starting a new narrative, though, a new tone of realism was introduced, with action-packed missions likeModern Warfare 2’s Cliffanger being replaced with gritty and intense night vision raids. While some still prefer the classics, this new style worked well for fans, too, and it seems likeBattlefieldmay be trying to pull from this success.
Not only isBattlefield 6supposedlytaking place in World War 3, a fictional conflict that was already covered heavily insideCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, but it is also pulling the naming convention from 2019’sModern Warfarereboot. Infinity Ward’s return to the successfulCall of Dutysubseries saw them dropping the numbers that came after eachModern Warfare, which made sense because of how the new story was not connected in any way. While just calling the gameModern Warfaremay cause some issues with naming its eventual sequel, for this specific reboot, it made sense. It indicated a new tone and a fresh start, andBattlefieldcopying this style may indicate that EA and DICE are attempting to do the same.
After all, theBattlefieldseries is no stranger to making use of odd names for its games, asBattlefield 1shows thisclearly. As such, simply calling the nextBattlefieldgame “Battlefield” would hardly be a big deal, and it makes sense with what DICE is supposedly trying to do. Several rumors have come out suggesting that the developer is aiming to recreate the feel of older games likeBattlefield 3, bringing back the feelings had when players enjoyed those titles. Further, there is no denying thatBattlefield 5failed to meet expectation. While using the nameBattlefield 6implies a continuation ofBattlefield 5’s style and systems, the use of the titleBattlefieldsuggests some level of distance between that game and this new title — with the briefBattlefieldname symbolizing a fresh start just likeModern Warfare’s.
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What A Soft Reboot For Battlefield Could Mean
IfBattlefield 6’s rumored title is truly suggesting a fresh start, fans can expectModern Warfare’s style of a soft reboot to be copied as well. This will likely be seen inBattlefield’s next campaign, as characters like Dima, Recker, and Blackburn will likely be left in the past. The “war of 2020” plotline fromBattlefield 3andBattlefield 4will likely be abandoned completely, with the warships, nukes, and planned war with China likely to be dropped in favor of a World War 3 narrative. Aside from a new story, however, Battlefield’s soft reboot could usher in a new style of gameplay for the series.
With little officially known aboutthe nextBattlefieldgameapart from its player count, perhaps DICE takes a more cartoony approach with this title. A bright new visual style could change things up even further, creating a greater level of distance between the old and new styles by making use of some more unique graphics. If there is a campaign, players could be introduced to a squad of lighthearted and funny characters like the ones seen in theBad Companysubseries — with a group of misfits fitting the concept of a less seriousBattlefieldgame to a tee. While some would surely be sad to see realism take a backseat, prioritizing fun over everything else could attract a new, larger audience.
On the flip side, DICE may stray even further from the tone oftheBad Companygamesby going hyperrealistic with the next title. With the power of next-gen consoles, the series can look even more stunning in terms of visuals, matching the boosted player count with an absurd level of detail. Pulling fromModern Warfareeven further, the nextBattlefieldgame could be grittier and more realistic. Finally including gore in multiplayer, pulling from real world events, and showing the collateral damage that war can cause are all ways thatBattlefieldcan become more focused on realism than it already is. A darker look at warfare that looks at the concept of World War 3 in a more mature way, a serious style could renew interest just like it did forModern Warfare.
At the same time, calling the gameBattlefieldcould purely be used to get away from the failures ofBattlefield 5as opposed to giving the series a fresh beginning. Regardless, fans will not have to wait too much longer to find out if these rumors are true, asa reveal is confirmedto be coming in spring. If the leak proves true, though, it is hard to deny that DICE and EA are pulling from one of the biggest video game franchises of all time – and their direct competition. If this truly is the case, hopefully this soft reboot ofBattlefieldwill prove just as successful asModern Warfare’s did.
