7 Ways Battlefield Needs to Improve to Take Call of Duty’s FPS Crown and Win Back the Trust of Players 

What was once one of the fiercest battles for supremacy in one of the most successful gaming genres eventually became a monarchy after Call of Duty figured out how to deliver what players wanted.

Battlefield made various attempts and even managed to attract significant attention with games like Battlefield 4, but unfortunately, EA’s saga couldn’t offer something better to its players.

According to a new interview with Respawn Entertainment’s head Vince Zampella, it seems that the new installment of the action saga will return to modern combat and focus on what players want. These are the seven things Battlefield needs to improve to regain users’ trust.

7. Make a significant leap in visual quality

One of the major problems with the last entry of this franchise, Battlefield 2042, was its lackluster visual quality, which players pointed out.

Upon release and in the following months, the game couldn’t build a community as past titles had. Despite some original ideas in this entry, the poor visual quality was one of the main reasons many players abandoned the game.

This is quite ironic considering that in past entries like Battlefield 4 and beyond, graphical quality was one of the franchise’s most well-regarded aspects.

The IP even achieved outstanding success in earlier entries thanks to its high graphical quality, which was one of the biggest draws for players, alongside the spectacular maps it previously offered.

The development studio should focus on using a modern game engine and once again achieve spectacular visual quality in maps to retain players in the next entry of the franchise.

Clearly, the low sales of Battlefield 2042 were a severe blow for EA. This probably means they’ll be much more cautious with the next release in this IP.

6. Single-player campaign

Despite players having made it more than clear to the studio that they wanted a single-player campaign to get to know and empathize with the various characters, EA systematically decides to leave this part of the game out, claiming it doesn’t add much to the experience.

Given that Battlefield is generally a multiplayer-focused game, this decision isn’t entirely wrong.

However, considering the game’s poor sales in recent entries, adding a good single-player campaign could be a significant differentiator that improves the game’s reception.

Though the series has rarely experimented with this mode, the times it did were quite fruitful, and players welcomed it with open arms.

The single-player campaign could also serve to introduce players to the concepts and mechanics of the new installment, helping them familiarize themselves and create a certain bond with what the title offers.

Needless to say, the franchise needs a substantial change to recover the players it lost in recent years after several mediocre releases. Unfortunately, EA hasn’t been able to maintain player interest.

5. Refreshed mechanics

At its core, Battlefield is a first-person action game franchise that focuses heavily on multiplayer.

Thanks to the famous 64-player battles, it delivers some of the most epic and legendary combat experiences that a game of this style can offer. It deeply integrates vehicle use and other elements to deliver superb gameplay where combat constantly evolves.

Unfortunately, in recent years, players haven’t responded well to the same mechanics, and clearly, the franchise requires a refresh. The implementation of weapons appears to be the issue, not the scale of the battles.

Players are no longer satisfied with the long-standing standard, demanding a shift in the handling of weapons and vehicles.

It’s worth noting that Call of Duty managed to refresh its formula, as shown with the OmniMovement introduced in the Black Ops 6 beta. The game underwent a complete renewal without altering its core formula.

This proves that there’s room for Battlefield to do the same, and EA should carefully consider how to implement new features. Vince Zampella of Respawn has mentioned in a recent interview that the game will return to a class-based system.

4. Follow the map quality of Battlefield 4

Games like Battlefield 4 and the recent Battlefield 2042 introduced some fairly original ideas with maps. They featured moments where certain parts of the map were destroyed or completely changed, forcing the gameplay to evolve and adapt in order to continue the fight against the enemy team.

The studio should focus on further developing these aspects and improving them even more.

If the development team fully commits to making all maps dynamic and completely reactive to what happens during combat, they could offer something new by improving the formula that has worked so well.

According to Zampella’s own words, Battlefield will return to the modern era, which means it could focus on present-day conflicts and offer maps from all over the world. The possibilities are truly limitless.

If EA focuses on offering original maps with unique qualities, they could genuinely change players’ opinions about the recent Battlefield titles.

A perfect combination of well-designed maps, along with the use of all the vehicles the game has at its disposal, could offer a unique gameplay experience that would make players want to return.

3. New modes to break the mold

Another feature the studio should consider is the ability to add new modes that give players a fresh reason to enter the game. Considering that the standard Battlefield modes, where 64 players face off, will likely work just fine, the studio should think about new modes to offer a differentiator for users.

Since the battle royale formula is somewhat worn out, they should opt for something smaller in scale.

One of the things that worked well for Call of Duty is the fast-paced 6v6 matches, which are frantic and quick, allowing players to get in several matches in a short time.

However, EA’s saga has always been on the other end of the spectrum, so the new mode should focus on having a larger number of players and aim for a different objective. Something about the current formula isn’t working, and adding a new mode could change opinions.

In such a saturated genre, it’s tough to come up with new ideas. Another thing the studio could try is to implement raids, similar to what Call of Duty did.

Players would face numerous NPCs to accomplish a particular objective, earning significant rewards. Though this type of mission might seem overused, it could work within Battlefield’s ecosystem.

2. Realistic gunplay

The weapons in any game in this saga must be completely realistic. Luckily, the studio has never cut corners in emulating this realism, but given the success of its competition, it should double down on this feature.

It should also focus on customization and weapon configuration, integrating these into the class system. If the game returns to a present-day setting, the studio should delve deeper into weapon customization, creating a new system where players feel part of the process.

If EA executes this well, it could be a significant differentiator, making players enjoy every customization a little more than the last as they build their perfect combat class. In terms of weapons, Battlefield has never had a shortage of variety.

Beyond customization, the studio could also ensure that each weapon feels entirely different from the others, trying to emulate as perfectly as possible the movement, recoil, and other characteristics of each one.

Vehicles could also benefit from these improvements, providing players with a more realistic gameplay experience.

1. Battlefield’s own Scorestreaks

The concept of scorestreaks is one of the best features that Call of Duty has implemented in combat. This allows players to receive a combat bonus after eliminating a certain number of enemies.

These bonuses can include airstrikes, calling in a helicopter, and other perks. Battlefield handles this entirely differently, but the studio should look for a similar system to reward players with combat bonuses.

Only after defeating numerous enemies would you earn this bonus, which could further unbalance the match and make it more engaging for skilled players.

Although, to some extent, this system isn’t necessary for Battlefield due to how it handles vehicles and other elements, it would be a fantastic addition to the gameplay and could add more dynamics to each match.

A great feature of this system is that it rewards good play and avoiding death. The development team behind this new Battlefield entry should implement a new system that rewards players for skillful play and simultaneously adds a unique twist to the match.

This is a unique opportunity for the studio to try to reclaim the throne of the best first-person action franchise.

What would you add to Battlefield to make it better? Let us know in the comments!