The Battlefield franchise has been a tentpole series of EA since Battlefield: 1942 released back in 2002. Longtime developer Digital Illusions CE, better known as DICE, has taken the franchise from World War II to the far-future in the series almost 20-year history. It's this history DICE may be looking to lean on for Battlefield 6 along with offering an updated battle royale to compete in an already packed space which includes Call of Duty, Fortnite, and Apex Legends.

Battlefield's multiplayer is the foundation which DICE built the franchise on. 2002's Battlefield: 1942 was revolutionary for offering large-scale multiplayer with up to 64 players battling in large maps laced with vehicles. DICE would up the ante as the series went on with larger-scale maps and player counts, new and competitive modes, and highly-destructible spaces.

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It's all this an alleged leak claims DICE will rely on to entice players with the next entry in the series. The leaker said the new Battlefield will double as a "hub" for multiplayer servers offering maps, modes, weapons, and mechanics from previous games. This means players could host or play on servers hosting older games like 1942 and it would play like 1942. So if anyone is in the mood to revisit Bad Company, remember there's no going prone.

Another option would allow players to mix and match gear from previous games to create chaotic matches. An example the leaker gives includes setting one team up with M1 Abrams tanks from Battlefield 3 against Panzer tanks from 1942.

DICE is not ignoring the modern audience, either. As with previous entries, Battlefield 6 will offer multiplayer supporting up to 128-players, though not all maps or modes will support that many players. An updated battle royale mode would also be available to enjoy, building on DICE's first attempt with Firestorm in 2018's Battlefield 5.

While balancing modern and classic multiplayer may be a challenge, DICE is arguably one of the studios best suited to handle this ambitious an idea. The studio's success has been on the back of the series' multiplayer, to the point where DICE carried over mechanics and modes to other projects. Star Wars: Battlefront is the most notable example of this as players could take part in large-scale ground and space battles from the films like the Battle of Crait for The Last Jedi.

The bigger questions arguably surround a new battle royale mode. While Firestorm say an initial spike in interest after its release, the player base appeared to drop off as players jumped back to other games lke Fortnite and Apex Legends. That said, if Call of Duty was able to rebound from Black Ops 4's Blackout with Warzone, it stands to reason DICE could do the same.

Battlefield 6 is rumored to be in development for unspecified platforms with a target release of Holiday 2021.

MORE: Battlefield 6 Seems Determined to Beat Call of Duty 2021 to the Punch

Source: CharlieIntel