Battlefield Studios: who's making the next Battlefield?

Meet the four studios shaping the future of Battlefield

With anticipation mounting for the next Battlefield installment, a key question arises: who’s actually making the game? Following the rocky release of Battlefield 2042, EA has shifted its strategy in a big way. This time, development is not falling solely on DICE’s shoulders. Instead, four major studios—DICE, Ripple Effect, Criterion, and Motive—have come together under a unified banner: Battlefield Studios. Each team brings a unique history, expertise, and responsibility to this ambitious new project.

In early 2025, EA dropped a major announcement: Battlefield Labs, a new playtesting initiative, alongside a sleek video presentation introducing Battlefield Studios. For the first time in franchise history, multiple teams are sharing the load across single-player, multiplayer, and possibly even battle royale. The idea is simple: break the silos, combine creative forces, and rebuild Battlefield from the ground up—while directly involving the community in the process.

Episode 29 of the Battlefield One Podcast tackled this announcement head-on, analysing the studios involved, the gameplay teaser, the blog post, and the community’s cautious reaction.

Let’s look at each studio, their responsibilities on this project, and their history in the games industry:

DICE - Multiplayer

Location: Stockholm, Sweden Notable Work: Battlefield 1942, Battlefield 3, Battlefield 1, Battlefield 2042, Star Wars Battlefront I & II

DICE is the original creator of the Battlefield franchise and has carried the weight of the series for over two decades. While Battlefield 1 was a critical success and Battlefield 3/4 are still considered fan favorites, the studio faced significant backlash with 2042 due to poor technical performance and design missteps. Now, DICE is focusing squarely on multiplayer, with a chance to re-establish the core sandbox warfare experience that defined the franchise.

Ripple Effect - Rumoured Battle Royale

Location: Los Angeles, USA Notable Work: Formerly known as DICE LA, Ripple Effect contributed to Battlefield 4’s post-launch success and developed Battlefield Portal in 2042

Ripple Effect has become something of a specialist in course correction and innovation. They were key in saving Battlefield 4 through the Community Test Environment (CTE) and delivered Battlefield Portal, which gave players powerful tools to create custom game modes using assets from previous titles. For the upcoming game, they’re reportedly leading development on a Battle Royale experience—helmed by a former Call of Duty Warzone developer Byron Beede. That puts them in a position to make a mode that competes directly with the likes of Warzone and Fortnite, but with a Battlefield twist.

EA Motive - Singleplayer

Location: Montreal, Canada

Notable Work: Star Wars: Squadrons, Dead Space Remake, support on Battlefront II

Motive is known for its strong single-player storytelling and atmospheric design. The Dead Space Remake was widely praised for modernizing a beloved horror classic, while Star Wars: Squadrons proved they could deliver polished, immersive gameplay experiences. Their task now? Deliver a compelling narrative-driven campaign—a major return for the series after Battlefield 2042 shipped without one. As Tom (TheLankySoldier) from Battlefield One Podcast noted, this could finally satisfy long time fans who miss the campaign moments of Bad Company. Criterion - Supporting content on Multiplayer and Singleplayer

Location: Guildford, UK Notable Work: Burnout, Need for Speed, support on Battlefield V and Battlefront II

Best known for high-octane racing games, Criterion has quietly been building experience with shooters in recent years. They contributed post-launch content and effects work to Battlefield V and the Star Wars Battlefront series. In this new collaboration, Criterion is reportedly building maps and content for both multiplayer and singleplayer, helping to expand the game’s variety and visual identity. Their strength in fast-paced design and visual polish could make them a powerful wildcard on this project.

As the Battlefield One Podcast highlighted, this shift to a multi-studio strategy might be exactly what the franchise needs. In the past, too much responsibility was piled onto DICE alone. This new setup distributes that pressure across experienced teams, each playing to their strengths. It’s a more modular, scalable, and stable approach—something that even Call of Duty’s chaotic annual schedule has struggled with.

And it’s not just the studio structure that gives hope. The announcement video's aesthetic—dark grays, glitch effects, and that familiar Battlefield 3-style tone—signals a clear direction. Combined with Battlefield Labs, which opens up pre-release testing to the community, there’s now a clear effort to include players in shaping the final product.

For old franchise veterans, this might all sound like jargon. But for new Battlefield fans, this could mark the beginning of a new golden age. By distributing development across four capable studios—each with a proven track record in their own fields—EA is giving Battlefield a fighting chance to reclaim its place at the top of the FPS genre.

This article is brought to you by the Battlefield One Podcast, where we break down announcements like this, analyze gameplay footage, and track the development of Battlefield week to week. Whether you're new to the franchise or a returning veteran, follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you listen, and get the full picture behind the frontlines.

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