The Battlefield franchise has honed its craft over the years to become one of the most iconic IPs within the highly saturated and competitive industry of first-person shooter video games, and it is clear to see why. Finding its roots all the way back in 2002, the franchise has earned its spot as one of the most prestigious and historic FPS IPs, still commanding a large fan base to this day. Unfortunately, though, recent entries have hurt the series' reputation more than they have helped.
Of course, the main rival that Battlefield has had to long compete against is Call of Duty, with many being of the opinion that Call of Duty is the most dominant series in the shooter genre and one of the most influential IPs in the entire gaming industry. The continued relevance of Battlefield despite this is a testament to the sustained innovation and perseverance of the franchise, but there is no denying that the series has waned in popularity and standing in more recent years. This downturn for Battlefield of course works to the advantage of Call of Duty, which has recently implemented mechanics that nullify a lot of Battlefield's appeal.
The Recent Issues With the Battlefield Franchise
The aforementioned innovation of Battlefield has seen the franchise explore a huge breath of settings and wars over the years, spanning from historically grounded period pieces to more futuristic fictional conflicts. Battlefield 2042 is the most recent release for the IP, releasing in 2021 to huge amounts of anticipation and boldly blending the mechanics associated with the contemporary settings of Battlefield with near-future elements driven by a more sci-fi feel.
This excitement regarding Battlefield 2042 was short-lived, however, with the launch of the game being rather disastrous for DICE and EA. Many fans were of the opinion that 2042 launched in a barebones state, missing core mechanics that were standard for previous installments and garnering controversies through decisions like the removal of the franchise's traditional class system. The player count for Battlefield 2042 dropped significantly just months after its October release, with the game struggling to steady itself following the hit it took when it released. Though it has improved, the impact of its early problems is still being felt.
The Advantage That Battlefield Has Lost Over Call of Duty
This aforementioned blow to the reputational standing of Battlefield has only been compounded with recent developments to the Call of Duty franchise, whose usual annual releases foster a perfect environment for an even greater amount of innovation. While Battlefield has of course struggled to keep up with the break-neck speeds of CoD in the past, it has always had the security of its unique core gameplay and expansiveness, but this is no longer unique to the Battlefield franchise.
For some time, Call of Duty has been dipping its toes into more expansive and open multiplayer experiences, which is noteworthy since the franchise has historically been known for smaller scale three-lane arena-style maps within its online modes. For some time, Call of Duty has begun offering Ground War multiplayer modes, which see up to 64 players engage in large-scale warfare with a variety of vehicles in gameplay that would have previously been synonymous with Battlefield instead.
Ground War has gone on to become a staple of the CoD multiplayer experience, with this kind of mode only being aided by the recent explosion in popularity of the Warzone franchise. With Warzone being Call of Duty's take on the battle royale genre, the huge maps and assets that the game fosters are often carried over to CoD's core multiplayer for the production of much larger maps. While it remains that Battlefield may offer slightly more expansive experiences, it is clear that recent innovations to CoD have taken a lot of appeal away from the IP.