Game Changer: The Meteoric Rise of Battlefield's Rival as the Ultimate Alternative

Highlights

Battlefield has struggled in recent years, with a lack of polish, bugs, and historical inaccuracies leading to slip-ups and low points for the franchise.

Call of Duty has taken advantage of an opportunity to broaden its appeal, incorporating expansive maps and vehicles to rival Battlefield's dominance.

In order to emulate Call of Duty's achievement, Battlefield should adapt by providing players with both intimate and sprawling encounters, mastering various styles like CoD and thereby leveling the playing field between the two games.

The Battlefield series has experienced both success and setbacks in the past console generations. Despite popular releases like Battlefield 3 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Battlefield 4 encountered various issues such as bugs and netcode problems upon launch. While these were eventually addressed, Battlefield 5 faced criticism for its historical inaccuracies and unsuccessful battle royale mode, Firestorm. The franchise reached its lowest point with the launch of Battlefield 2042, during which Call of Duty gained momentum and popularity.

Traditionally, Battlefield and Call of Duty offered distinct experiences, attracting different fan bases. Battlefield provided players with large maps, featuring a combination of vehicle and infantry combat. On the other hand, Call of Duty offered competitive arcade gameplay, focused on small teams and lacking vehicles. However, as Battlefield has struggled to meet fan expectations in recent years, Activision has taken advantage of the situation by offering a versatile Call of Duty experience that caters to a wider audience.

Call of Duty’s Success With Large Maps Makes Battlefield a Tough Sell

The 2019 reboot of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare subseries brought significant changes. In addition to a more realistic campaign and slower, tactical multiplayer, the introduction of Ground War added a new dimension. These matches took place in a large area of Verdansk and included familiar features from Battlefield, such as objective gameplay resembling Conquest, vehicle transportation, selectable spawn points, a squad system, and a larger player count.

Ground War content made a comeback in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and it was also incorporated into Black Ops Cold War through its Fireteam experiences. While some fans criticized the mode for reusing areas from Call of Duty: Warzone maps, the advantage is that new maps can be added frequently due to the game's live service and seasonal system. It is easier to section off battle royale locations than to create new maps from scratch.

Call of Duty: Warzone has greatly benefited the series by offering a battle royale experience with a large map and vehicles, just like its predecessor Blackout. The best part is that Warzone is free-to-play, allowing anyone to join the game without spending money. Although it may not have all the objective modes and specific vehicle types like Battlefield, players who enjoy large scale warfare may find it difficult to justify purchasing a full-priced game when a free alternative exists. With premium games now including modes like Ground War and Warzone offering a free battleground, Call of Duty has incorporated many of the unique features that make Battlefield stand out.

It is crucial to consider when this shift began. In 2018, Battlefield 5 received mixed reviews, and around the same time, Call of Duty introduced large scale multiplayer maps in its games. By capitalizing on the situation, Call of Duty managed to attract fans who were disappointed with Battlefield by offering big battles and its signature close quarters encounters. With Battlefield only delivering one of these aspects, Call of Duty feels like a more comprehensive package.

Taking this into consideration, Battlefield may benefit from following a similar path as Call of Duty. Just as Call of Duty learned from Battlefield's strategies, Battlefield should also offer small-scale experiences alongside the expected large maps. Battlefield 3's Close Quarters expansion has already proven that infantry-only maps can be successful in the series, so it would be advantageous to emphasize this aspect. Additionally, the next Battlefield game should emphasize what Call of Duty's large maps lack, which is the inclusion of vehicles like jets and tanks, as well as destructible environments. If executed properly, Battlefield has the potential to make a comeback and regain its rightful position as a formidable competitor to Call of Duty in the FPS genre.