Electronic Arts chief financial officer Blake Jorgensen announced at the Nasdaq 35th Investor Program press conference that Battlefield won’t be returning for a couple of years. The series has produced 11 games and 12 expansion packs since it’s inception in 2002, and with the exception of a few years (2003, 2007, 2012, 2014).
The announcement is interesting, as we have begun to see notable AAA studios tone down the yearly release schedules of affluent franchises – like Ubisoft with Assassin’s Creed – in favor of producing higher quality content. While this strategy certainly sounds reasonable, it’s important to note that EA will be releasing a sequel to Star Wars Battlefront in 2017.
“We were very excited about how Star Wars came out last year,” Jorgensen said. “It’s a beautiful game, people loved it. I think if there was criticism they just wanted more. And so we’re taking that criticism to heart as we build the next game and trying to address any of the issues that they had.”
Many of those criticism revolved around the lack of continued support for the game after it’s initial release, as fans felt the current four expansions added little variety, apart from new maps, at the price point for which they paid. As a result it should be intriguing to see if the company has laid out a new long term business model in regards to downloadable content and support for it’s games.
Since it’s release on October 21, 2016, Battlefield 1 has received overwhelmingly positive reviews, with many commending the improved single player and realistic combat.
As of now there have been no plans to release any additional content for the most recent installment in the franchise, beyond the four additional expansion packs they’ve already announced. For more information, be sure to check back to the site frequently for all your Battlefield, Battlefront and other gaming news!