Highlights

  • DICE could benefit from returning to map packs for the next Battlefield game, allowing them to be more ambitious with new content and focus on a specific theme or style of play.
  • Releasing high-quality map packs would keep players engaged and provide a more cohesive and complete experience, compared to frequent seasonal releases that can overshadow content.
  • Moving away from seasonal content drops and embracing the map pack model could help bring players back to Battlefield and attract a dedicated fanbase that recent entries have failed to achieve.

Even as Battlefield 2042 continues to receive regular injections of new content, many gamers are already beginning to wonder what EA and DICE have in store for the series’ next release. With the near-future shooter never quite reaching the heights of earlier entries, and work on the next Battlefield title reportedly well underway, the time may have come for the franchise to reinvent itself once again. One way to do this would be for DICE to buck the trend of tying multiplayer content to seasonal releases and return to the Battlefield map pack model that helped make games like Battlefield 3 fan favorites.

Returning to map packs rather than season-based releases would be an adjustment for gamers who’ve grown used to the latter model, but it could provide DICE with the opportunity to be more ambitious with new content. Rather than releasing a single new map at a time like with seasons in Battlefield 2042, DICE could use map packs to add new content organized around a particular theme or style of play. While moving to map packs would likely mean that major additions to the next Battlefield game would arrive less often, embracing this once-common add-on model could help make each release feel more cohesive and complete.

creative-battlefield-2042-player-turns-tank-into-a-missle-game-rant
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Creative Battlefield 2042 Player Turns Tank Into a Missile

A Battlefield 2042 player utilizes a heavy CAV-Brawler tank to eliminate an enemy, though it unfortunately doesn't warrant a kill.

Map Packs Could Let DICE Go Bigger With the Next Battlefield

In a gaming landscape increasingly inundated with battle passes and seasonal content, abandoning this approach for the next Battlefield game wouldn’t be without risk. Convincing gamers to purchase map packs rather than relying on free seasonal updates could prove difficult, and EA may balk at the prospect of losing ongoing revenue from the Battlefield Battle Pass. But moving away from a season-based model would also allow DICE to put more time and effort into each map pack, ensuring that each one adds something substantial and unique to the game.

Just as Battlefield 3’s map packs were organized around themes, such as the Armored Kill expansion’s focus on vehicular combat, the same could hold true for the next Battlefield. Whether promoting a particular style of play or emphasizing a feature like the realistic destruction in the new Battlefield, each map pack could highlight something specific. This process of showcasing a feature or mechanic with each add-on would let DICE ensure those elements get the level of polish and attention needed to entice players to purchase them.

High-Quality Map Packs Could Keep Players Coming Back to Battlefield

While moving back to map packs for the next Battlefield game would mean that new content would arrive less frequently, this could work in the game’s favor. Although seasonal releases of new content can certainly keep players engaged, this steady stream of new maps, weapons, and modes can lead to quality content getting lost in the shuffle. No matter how entertaining a new map or mode may be, it’s hard to build long-term player engagement around it when the next season is always right around the corner.

Releasing map packs where each piece of content is given the same level of care and polish as what goes into the game at launch could be a big win for Battlefield. This is evidenced by add-ons for previous entries like Battlefield 2: Special Forces and Close Quarters for Battlefield 3, both of which introduced maps and features that became enduring fan favorites. Releasing similarly high-quality map packs for the next Battlefield could help it find the sort of dedicated fanbase that recent franchise entries have failed to attract.

With the next Battlefield now in development, EA needs to take the series in a new direction. Moving away from seasonal content drops and back to the tried-and-true map pack model could accomplish this and help bring players back to the aging franchise. By giving each new map and mode time to shine free of the season-based content treadmill, these sorts of add-ons could usher in a bright new era for Battlefield.