The Battlefield franchise has been one of the most popular first-person shooter games since Battlefield 1942 was first launched in 2002. The franchise has primarily been developed by Swedish game developer EA DICE, but in a recent press release made on EA’s news page, it was announced that a new company would be joining the development team for a future Battlefield game. Ridgeline Games is the newest member of EA’s roster of over 20 development teams worldwide, and they hope to win back the franchise’s popularity.
Ridgeline Games is based in the mountains of Kirkland, Washington and led by Marcus Lehto, the co-creator of the immensely popular Halo. The team is apparently also stacked with veterans of the gaming industry and still looking to grow. Lehto described the business as interested in pursuing the kind of company that valued diverse voices and work-life balance. Considering how many other video game companies have come under fire for being, among other descriptors, sexist and encouraging to grind culture, this is a positive note for the company that shows they are moving into the future of gaming culture. They also have a very poetic view of their company’s location and mission. Surrounded by mountains that have inspired the company’s name, Ridgeline Games says that their surroundings remind them “of the work [they] do to reach the top and how [they] strive for that beauty in all [they] do.”
As the game developer and head of the company, Lehto has expressed his excitement to work with both DICE and Ripple Effect to create a narrative-based game set in the Battlefield universe. They plan to expand on the types of storytelling adventures that are only possible in the Battlefield universe. Vince Zampella, the founder of Respawn and the Battlefield franchise has also weighed in on this decision by saying:
“We’re continuing to invest in the future of the franchise by bringing in new talent and perspectives. With Marcus and his team at Ridgeline Games joining the world-class global team we have already in place, Battlefield is in the strongest position to succeed.”
Vince Zampella, EA News
Why change companies after years of great games? Well, the latest in the franchise was an admittedly huge disappointment. Battlefield 2042 was the first game that took the franchise to the future, but it was riddled with bugs from the very start. It received a ton of negative reviews, even reaching the status of “Overwhelmingly negative” on Steam, and many fans described the formula as “starting to feel stale and uninspired.” With so many unhappy users, it makes sense why they would choose a team with a fresh vision for the games. Most gamers aren’t looking for mindless violence and cool graphics anymore. At the bare minimum, the game should be functional as well, but yeah a good story wouldn’t hurt!
We’re excited to see what they come up with! Who doesn’t love a redemption story?
