Battlefield 1 was set during World War I and 2018's franchise entry is expected to have a WWII theme. — AFP Relaxnews
A fifth core entry to the Battlefield franchise, with its single-player campaign intact, is set to launch between October and December 2018, and could be in very close proximity to both Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4 and Red Dead Redemption 2.
The as-yet unannounced Battlefield V appears to be heading for a confrontation with not only its traditional franchise rival in Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4 but also wild west epic Red Dead Redemption 2 from the Grand Theft Auto studio network Rockstar.
Amid rumours that Call Of Duty will drop its usual single-player campaign in favour of a Battle Royale mode inspired by 2017 newcomers Fortnite and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, EA CEO Andrew Wilson promised "compelling single-player stories" in the next Battlefield.
The series is known for its destructible environments and combination of land, sea and air combat brought together over a variety of multiplayer modes.
During a scheduled call with financial investors, Wilson differentiated Battlefield from a cohort of competitors but did not go as far as confirming the post-release addition of a Battle Royale mode, as per separate April rumors.
With Red Dead Redemption 2 three trailers in and Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4 set for a reveal event on May 17, EA and development studio DICE have hardly spoken about 2018's Battlefield – thought to be Battlefield V – in any detailed capacity.
Generally delivering a new entry every two years, and since 2015 alternating with EA's Star Wars Battlefront film tie-in, the franchise has tended to stick to a late October release, with Activision's juggernaut Call Of Duty then arriving early November.
Matters are complicated in 2018 as Rockstar Games has already targeted the last week of October for Red Dead Redemption 2 and, perhaps in consequence, Activision has moved Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4 forward to Oct 12.
That leaves Oct 19 available for Battlefield V, though EA might not want to risk having its high-potential shooter squeezed by competing releases, just as in 2016 its own Titanfall 2 suffered at the hands of a defiant Battlefield 1 and Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare.
Nor might it view Oct 6 as ideal, given its potential proximity to bestselling annual soccer franchise FIFA, which tends to dominate mid to late September commerce.
The 2018 Electronic Entertainment Expo may provide a more generous hunting ground for Battlefield news, with EA hosting its annual media briefing on June 9 from 11am PDT (2am on June 10, Malaysia time), during a public-facing EA Play weekender. — AFP Relaxnews
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