Next Battlefield might pose a threat to Call of Duty, and it's not what you think

Modified Sep 16, 2024 09:31 GMT

A character in a Battlefield holding pistol — Upcoming Battlefield game might be a serious contender for Call of Duty (Image via EA)

The upcoming Battlefield game might give some serious competition to Call of Duty. However, it's not in the way one might think. Fans might assume that the next Battlefield game is going big, straight to its roots, implementing the same fundamentals that made it great back in the day. In fact, Large-scale maps, destructible environments, proper use of vehicular warfare, and a simple class system are some of the most requested features for the upcoming title.

Meanwhile, others might think that, unlike BF2042, the upcoming title will feature a single-player Campaign mode as well, giving players more content for the price. While these features might be present in the game, the competition doesn't arise from these aspects alone.

It was not too long ago when both Battlefield and Call of Duty were at the helm of the casual FPS genre. While both franchises are fundamentally different from each other, they were directly competing in the market. Hence, it wasn't uncommon for the community to pick a side and claim one was better than the other.

However, things didn't play out well for the BF series. With the launch of Battlefield V, many in the community swayed away from the franchise, claiming it had lost its soul. Following its poor reception, BF2042 was launched in 2021, which was one of EA's worst launches to date. Needless to say, fans were disappointed and it seemed like the franchise was on its last legs.

This gave Call of Duty a free reign over the casual FPS genre. But Battlefield's story doesn't end there. Numerous details have surfaced online, that suggest CoD might finally see some competition from Battlefield in the coming days.

Battlefield 2025 is reportedly going the Call of Duty route

One of the major selling points for Call of Duty is its free-to-play Battle Royale title Warzone, and Battlefield 2025 is apparently going down this route. According to a report by Insider Gaming, the upcoming BF game will launch with a standalone, free-to-play battle royale mode just like CoD, and this is where the two giants might collide in the gaming space.

It is a well-known fact that Warzone enjoys a large player base and is great for Activision when it comes to community engagement, and ultimately revenue. A major reason for this large of a playerbase is it being completely free on all platforms, making it more accessible to players around the globe. On top of it, players who purchase the mainstream CoD titles also play Warzone.

With a business model that relies on microtransactions, Warzone is one of Call of Duty's best success stories. However, there's a major issue with this. There are no real competitors in the scene that provide a first-person battle royale experience like WZ. It sways away from the traditional battle royale experience, appealing to regular gamers instead of the hardcore BR fans.

With no direct competition, it has the entire casual FPS market to itself and that is the reason for its success.

Also read: Will Delta Force Hawk Ops become Battlefield killer? Possibilities explored

However, Battlefield releasing a standalone free-to-play battle royale game separate from its mainstream releases brings new competition to the scene. On top of it, other rumors also suggest that the upcoming BF game will be more like CoD especially when it comes to the gameplay.

All the details as they currently stand, hint at only one thing - Call of Duty might finally have some competition on its hands. While that might not be good news for Activision, this is certainly a positive for the genre and the community.

With two giants going head-to-head, they will be constantly improving their product to appeal to more players and retain the existing ones. Ultimately, at the end of the day, it is the gamers who will win.

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Edited by Shraman Mitra