The celebrated first-person shooter franchise is set to make its return when Battlefield 6 releases during the 2021 holiday season. The game has become quite the undertaking, with multiple studios involved in Battlefield 6's development. Developer DICE and publisher EA seemingly want to get it right this time around after the disappointing reception and failure to capture a long-term player base of Battlefield V. The series may reestablish its status as a pillar of the FPS genre with this next entry, and if rumors and hints are to be believed, the abandonment of last-gen consoles might play a big role in that.
Near the beginning of console generations, games are often developed to accommodate older hardware in an attempt to increase the player base and offer the experience to those who haven't managed to get their hands on a new console just yet. Battlefield 4 was released on two console generations, coming to the PS4 and Xbox One as well as the PS3 and 360. Rumors have been circulating for a while now about DICE abandoning this strategy and skipping the PS4 and Xbox One altogether for Battlefield 6. While Battlefield 4's release only hindered the old hardware by limiting player count, Battlefield 6 is much better off sticking with the now current-gen consoles.
There has been no trailer released for Battlefield 6 and no concrete information on the setting, but EA has repeatedly emphasized the unprecedented scale, which will make it the Battlefield series' biggest game players have yet seen. This could just be marketing jargon, of course, but the assumption has been for a while now that Battlefield 6 will see the series grow beyond its usual 64 player lobbies. If Battlefield is indeed looking to evolve into something greater, then it's very promising to hear that only the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S will be supported.
Battlefield 6 Needs to Put the Series on the Right Path
A new franchise update coming from EA is just the latest snippet hinting at Battlefield 6 dropping the old consoles. The update specifically mentions only "next-gen consoles and PCs," and continues to marketing push that has been assuring fans that Battlefield 6 "is a bold step" toward taking the series "to the next level."
Focusing solely on development for the PS5 and Series X|S is the only way for DICE and EA to deliver on these promises. Mechanics like near-total destruction and larger game lobbies are some of what the fans want from Battlefield, and it seems like the only way for these to be a reality, while maintaining high graphics quality, is to take advantage of SSDs and other hardware improvements in the new consoles.
A current-gen-only Battlefield 6 is indicative of another positive trend in the game's development: DICE's commitment to making a good Battlefield game. Releasing cross-gen is often seen as a cash grab by consumers, and sales probably is a realistic factor in determining what consoles to develop for. The current difficulty in obtaining the PS5 and Series X|S are sure to impact Battlefield 6 sales somewhat if the hardware shortage issues aren't resolved by the holidays, but leaving the PS4 and Xbox One behind for Battlefield 6 is a good indication that the developers have a vision for the game and want to deliver it as best they can.
Source: Electronic Arts