TheBattlefieldfranchise has been a defining IP among the saturated market of first-person shooters. Launching in 2002, the series has explored many conventions of warfare across a huge span of time periods, redefining what can be expected from large-scale online FPS gameplay.
Despite the industry-wide respect that is placed uponBattlefield, its recent shortcomings have put it significantly behind its main competitor in terms of relevance. With how bright the immediate future ofCall of Dutylooks, it seems that theBattlefieldfranchise requires some serious amount of reinvigoration to be able to once again compete in the shooter market.
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The Recent Decline of Battlefield
TheBattlefieldfranchise historically established itself within the FPS market due to the unrivaled scale and detail of its online gameplay. Sporting its trademark “levolution” mechanic that allows players to destroy huge structures and dynamically interact with extremely detailed maps,Battlefieldhas always been seen as a more visceral, tactical, and grounded gameplay experience in comparison to the more fast-paced nature ofCall of Duty.
That being said, recent installments of theBattlefieldfranchise have failed to compound and build upon this previously successful formula, and have arguably even regressed what is now expected fromBattlefieldgameplay. Seeds of controversy were first sewn with thetumultuous launch ofBattlefield 5due to its perceived disregard for historical accuracy, marking the beginning of a more strained relationship between DICE and theBattlefieldfan base.
It is no secret thatBattlefield 2042, the most recent mainline title in the franchise, has not been nearly as successful as DICE and EA would have hoped prior to its launch.Battlefield 2042has become known for its tumultuous launch, launching without features that many consider being absolute necessities for an online experience such as in-game leaderboards. With the game currently having a lower average player count than much older franchise titles and being on sale for under $20 despite being less than a year old, it can be said the franchise is at a historic low.
The Recent Revival of Call of Duty
To make matters worse forBattlefield, its biggest industry competitorCall of Dutyis having something of a franchise revival, compounding the negative elements of the former’s recent titles. While the morerecent releases ofCold WarandVanguardwere comparatively less successful, 2019’sModern Warfarewas a watershed moment forCall of Duty’srecent player engagement and popularity.
A contemporary reboot of the iconicModern Warfarefranchise, the visceral gameplay, andreturning beloved characters such as Captain Pricesaw the 2019 title become extremely popular within the FPS community. In conjunction with the popularity of its singleplayer and base-multiplayer modes, the 2020 release ofCall of Duty: Warzonepropelled the franchise to the forefront of the gaming industry as a whole.
BeingCall of Duty’stake on the massively popular battle royale genre,Warzonereached 60 million players within two months of releaseand is still one of the most popular battle royales in the gaming sphere. This momentum is set to be carried forward with the upcoming release ofModern Warfare 2, which has been billed to be the “most advancedCall of Dutyto date.” With hype for the title already being high due to the success of its predecessor, it is set to launch alongside aWarzone 2, only further increasing the immediate prospects of the IP. Despite the two franchises historically going blow-for-blow for two decades, the anticipated future success ofCall of Dutyseems to leave the strugglingBattlefieldin a position where it simply cannot compete.
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