EA Announces Playtest Program Battlefield Labs, Signups Available Now

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As a gaming enthusiast, I’m thrilled about today’s announcement from EA! They’ve unveiled Battlefield Labs, an exclusive opportunity for players like us to dive into the pre-alpha phase of the upcoming Battlefield game. This initiative is going to be a regular feature in all future Battlefield games, serving as a bridge between developers and players, allowing us to provide valuable feedback on the game. The reveal was made at the end of a five-minute video discussing the future of the Battlefield franchise. Although they didn’t disclose the title of the next game yet, we got a sneak peek of ten seconds of gameplay! If you’re as excited as I am, head over now to sign up for Battlefield Labs and be a part of shaping the future of this iconic series.

Battlefield Labs invites players to playtest pre-alpha versions of EA’s next game to help with development

For years, Battlefield has been striving to match the dominance of Call of Duty in the gaming industry, but it hasn’t quite managed yet. The most recent addition to the series, Battlefield 2042, currently holds a score of 68/100 on MetaCritic, making it the lowest-rated game in the Battlefield franchise. Recently, Electronic Arts (EA), the publisher of Battlefield, has been under fire for their management of BioWare, the studio behind Dragon Age and Mass Effect. With many developers seeking employment, EA could really benefit from a successful launch at this time.

In the upcoming installment of the “Battlefield” series, a joint effort from four creative teams will take place. DICE, known for their work on “Battlefield” games since 2002 and responsible for multiplayer and core systems development, is one of them. Criterion Games will be in charge of creating the single-player campaign. Meanwhile, Motive Studio will focus on designing multiplayer maps and missions for single-player gameplay. Lastly, Ripple Effect is contributing to an exciting and enigmatic project. Collectively, these teams will be recognized as Battlefield Studios.

According to General Manager Byron Beede, these four studios have melded together their two decades of franchise expertise with fresh, up-and-coming talent. The reference to “emerging talent” might imply the veracity behind a previous DICE developer’s statement that 98% of those working on the next Battlefield are new to the series. Fortunately, these studios are not solely devoted to the development of Battlefield. EA confirmed to PC Gamer that Criterion Games is still focusing on Need For Speed, and Motive on an Iron Man project.

Battlefield Labs, a player-centric project by EA, was explained to PC Gamer as a trial of “fundamental aspects of Battlefield: combat, destruction, vehicles, and weapons” in traditional modes like Breakthrough and Rush, along with “novel ideas.” Players are invited to register now, but at the moment of writing, the queue to sign up has a wait time of over an hour with approximately 200,000 players ahead.

For enthusiasts of Battlefield, this opportunity appears thrilling if you’re fortunate enough to join the lab; however, playtesters must keep their experiences confidential by signing a non-disclosure agreement with EA. This means that no updates or gameplay sneak peeks about the upcoming Battlefield are likely for some time.

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2025-02-03 23:32