All things considered, Battlefield 3 is a relatively new game, its October 2011 debut date placing it at a mere 16 months old. And while it is a given that the war shooter would inevitably seen another entry in the series, new details indicate it is already in development and that an announcement will be made around April. During a recent financial call, when asked about how EA intends to avoid repeating the disappointment of the low selling Medal of Honor: Warfighter, president Frank Gibeau responded:
"We have a Battlefield title coming next year but we're not in a position right now to talk about our development plans and our SKU plan long term.
"That will come in about 90 days when we get to show you some Battlefield stuff."
The 90 days estimate would put the announcement sometime in April. EA's next fiscal year begins that same month. Later in the same earnings call, EA CEO John Riccitiello confirms that the next entry in the series is on the way, and for the next generation:
"We're also investing Gen4 console technologies and content. We've signaled that we're working on the next editions of our two biggest franchises in Battlefield and FIFA…We look forward to discussing these programs and many others with you when we provide our fiscal 14 guidance in May."
The time frame laid out by these hints would make sense given the release window of Battlefield 3 (which was announced at GDC in March 2011), allowing for another October debut. As much as it seems to fit, however, I have my reservations. It seems unwise to fatigue an oversaturated market for war games by announcing and releasing a new Battlefield game so soon. On the other hand, what else could it be? Come this spring, we'll find out.
