Battlefield Labs is a community playtest collab for the next Battlefield

EA has introduced Battlefield Labs, a community collaboration project aimed at receiving direct feedback and shaping the development of the next Battlefield game. This project involves a group of studios including Criterion, DICE, Ripple Effect, and Motive Studios, now collectively known as Battlefield Studios.

The announcement video also provided a brief glimpse of the upcoming Battlefield game.

Testing for Battlefield Labs will commence in the upcoming weeks, and interested individuals can sign up at battlefield.com/labs. Initial tests will be invite-only and will utilize players and servers in Europe and North America, with plans to expand in future phases. Participation requires signing an NDA to maintain confidentiality until EA is ready to reveal more about the game.

DICE will continue to oversee the game engine and multiplayer aspects, while Criterion focuses on single-player content, returning to the franchise after skipping Battlefield 2042. Motive is contributing to multiplayer maps and single-player content, and Ripple Effect is working on creating an experience to attract new players, as mentioned by Senior Producer Ryan McArthur.

The collaboration between these studios under the new Battlefield Studios brand is an interesting development, considering their past involvement in various aspects of the Battlefield franchise. Criterion, known for their work on vehicular content and game modes in previous titles, Motive’s experience with single-player campaigns, and Ripple Effect’s innovative contributions to Battlefield Portal all bring unique perspectives to the next Battlefield game.

Lastly, Ripple Effect, formerly DICE LA, played a significant role in the development of Battlefield 2042’s Battlefield Portal, which integrated classic Battlefield elements into the new engine. While their specific contribution to the next Battlefield game remains undisclosed, it is expected to cater to a new audience with a different gameplay experience.

The video concludes with a glimpse of actual gameplay from the upcoming Battlefield game, showcasing a modern Middle Eastern map with tanks and soldiers engaging in combat. The focus is on dynamic map destruction, culminating in a dramatic building explosion. Fans are eager to see if the game will feature the extensive building destruction seen in Bad Company 2.