The direct competition between theBattlefieldandCall of Dutyfranchises is one of the most storied and longstanding in the gaming industry, with both massively popular IPs catering to different sides of the first-person shooter community. While the relentless annual release schedule ofCall of Dutyhas made it more difficult forBattlefieldto compete in recent years, 2025 is set to be quite unique in that it will reportedly see the launch of aBattlefieldandCoDtitle, being the first time this has happened since 2021’sBattlefield 2042andCoD: Vanguard.
Some early details are already surfacing regarding this year’sBattlefieldrelease, including leaked gameplay footage of its thorough playtesting, with a lot of positive sentiment already surrounding the project - a clear difference from the many criticisms thatBattlefield 2042faced throughout its life cycle. With this coming in contrast to the potentially risky route thatCall of Duty’s 2025 release is reportedly taking, a huge opportunity for theBattlefieldfranchise is imminent, and the upcoming game will need to time its big reveal perfectly to maximize its chances of once again directly competing with the industry giant that isCoD.
A Wise Reveal Date Could Be the Perfect Set Up For the Next Battlefield Game
The playtesting for the upcomingBattlefieldprojectis the most rigorous that the franchise has ever seen, with DICE launching the Battlefield Labs “community development collaboration” to put fans at the center of the title’s development and creative direction. This seems to be a logical move following the lingering negative reputation thatBattlefield 2042brought to the franchise, especially around the time of its launch, with DICE seemingly taking fan feedback to heart more than ever before with its next project.
The Battlefield Labs testing is being carried out in stages, with future playtesting expanding to more regions and eventually involving tens of thousands of early players.
It is confirmed that the nextBattlefieldwill tone things back to a modern setting, with its return to things like 64-player matches and more compact maps already drawing hugecomparisons between the title and the likes ofBattlefield 3and4. This has amassed a lot of early goodwill for the project, especially among long-term fans of the franchise, and the timing of the game’s full announcement needs to maximize this early positive attention as much as possible.
2025 is set to be a strange year forCall of Duty, with many reports suggesting that this year’sCoDrelease is set to be anotherBlack Opsrelease. Rumored to bea direct sequel to 2012’sBlack Ops 2, this project would run the risk of repeating the same backlash that 2023’sModern Warfare 3received as the second of two back-to-backModern Warfarereleases, with rumors already suggesting that 2025’sCoDmay repeat the same remastered multiplayer map catalog that only added tothe criticisms ofMW3. - albeit with some new maps mixed in.
A Well-Timed Battlefield Reveal Has a Real Chance of Taking Steam Away From Call of Duty’s 2025 Project
While a continuation ofBlack Ops 2’s story could be a fascinating prospect, the supposedly limited amount of fresh content for the game’s multiplayer could putCall of Dutyin a relative weak spot in 2025, making the excitement around the nextBattlefieldall the more valuable for the EA franchise. TheBlack Ops 6era ofCoDrecently received quite a boost withthe hotly anticipated re-introduction of Verdansk toWarzone, and the nextBattlefieldshould bide its time and wait for this hype to die down before fully introducing itself to the FPS scene.
WithCoDreveals usually starting around April or May,Battlefieldmay be wise to wait until 2025’sCoDrelease starts its own promotional run before revealing itself, allowing fans of the FPS genre to become fully aware ofwhat this year’sCall of Dutyofferings areand allowing for a direct comparison to be made with whatBattlefieldhas in store. A well-timed reveal of the nextBattlefield, after the initial interest in this year’sCoDreveal dies down, could be invaluable for DICE, putting the ball firmly inBattlefield’s court for what is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing showdowns that the two massive franchises have ever had.
