Why has EA decided to shut down Battlefield Mobile?

Battlefield is a first-person shooter primarily developed by DICE and published by Electronic Arts. The series mainly focuses on large-scale online multiplayer battles and is one of the top franchises in its genre, with a player base of over 50 million. The game has now lost a major platform as the development of the mobile version has officially been scrapped.

Battlefield Mobile promo poster (Image via EA Games)

Earlier today, EA released an official statement saying that they were shutting down the development of Battlefield Mobile and canceling its release. If that news wasn't bad enough, EA announced that Apex Legends Mobile is also shutting down on May 1, 2023.

Sample gameplay screenshot of Battlefield Mobile (Image via Google Play Store)

Fans have been dismayed by the news of both games getting canceled. Given the popularity of the series, the mobile version garnered plenty of hype. Unfortunately, the game will not see the light of day again, but EA has addressed the series' future moving forward.

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Why did EA shut down Battlefield Mobile and what's next for the franchise?

Industrial Toys, the developer of Battlefield Mobile, briefly explained why such a step was taken. The primary reason was that EA was looking to pivot from its current direction of the series and focus on something more appealing to the players. As part of a change in strategy and future plans, the developers scrapped the game's release.

As BGMI is a popular franchise, this news has taken the internet by storm and wasn't well received by fans looking forward to experiencing the game on mobile.

It's still unclear whether the decision was made in response to the open beta launched in 2021. The beta version was launched in select regions, such as Indonesia, The Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. EA and Industrial Toys stated that the beta would be released in other regions as well.

The beta had mixed reviews, with some praising the graphics and gameplay, while some reported too many bugs and glitches and mentioned that the game needed to be more polished and add more elements to make it exciting.

Some are now speculating the call to cancel the game was made due to the reviews received from the beta test, though neither EA nor Industrial Toys have confirmed that.

In a press release, EA confirmed that it is still fully dedicating itself to the series and is shifting its focus toward Battlefield 2042 while they work on releasing more titles in this franchise soon. The game had a rough initial launch, and the developers have worked hard at improving and evolving it.

The gaming giant is looking to strategize new ways to make mobile gaming better and more exciting. Fans can expect EA to aid in developing and publishing a new title similar to the franchise or maybe even a better and more optimized version of the game they were developing before canceling.

With the unfortunate news of Apex Legends Mobile and Battlefield Mobile shutting down, fans can also explore the PC and console versions of those games. With these platforms slowly making headway in India and other developing countries, they provide the best gaming experience; these shooter games were originally designed for PCs and consoles.