Can Battlefield Reach 100 Million Players? EA says "Yes, we can"
- Tom Belous (The Lanky Soldier)
- Jul 13
- 5 min read
Battlefield One Podcast breaks down Electronic Arts’ lofty vision, internal struggles, and what it will take to bring the franchise back to the top.
The next Battlefield game is already generating massive conversations. Not for what’s been officially shown, but because of what’s been leaked, investigated, and hinted at behind closed doors. Chief among the headlines is Electronic Arts’ (EA) goal of attracting over 100 million players to its upcoming Battlefield entry. It’s a staggering number that dwarfs every previous title in the franchise - and it’s coming at a time when the Battlefield brand is arguably at its lowest point in public perception.
In Episode 43 of Battlefield One Podcast, hosts Tom (TheLankySoldier) and Ray Edmunds take an unfiltered deep dive into the recent Ars Technica exposé that revealed internal turmoil, development chaos, and EA’s ever-growing hunger to compete with giants like Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Call of Duty. The duo didn't hold back—delivering some of their most detailed, emotional, and brutally honest commentary yet.
The Ars Technica report paints a sobering picture of the next Battlefield’s development cycle. With over $400 million USD reportedly invested, the stakes are higher than ever. Yet, internal reports describe a troubled production:
Internal conflict and cultural clashes between international studios such as DICE, Ripple Effect, Criterion, and Motive.
The closure of Ridgeline Games, which was helming the single-player component under industry legend Marcus Lehto, due to unrealistic expectations and mismanagement.
Development gates were skipped, meaning core gameplay systems were implemented without proper prototyping or testing.
The single-player campaign is behind schedule and may be delayed or severely scaled back.
Despite all this, private multiplayer playtests have shown promise, highlighting strong gunplay, scale, and mechanics reminiscent of Battlefield’s glory days.
EA’s executive leadership is laser-focused on reaching over 100 million lifetime players, despite the game reportedly being two years behind schedule.
The 100 million figure is especially eye-opening. For comparison:
Battlefield 3, one of the franchise’s best-selling titles, peaked at around 15 million players.
The closest Battlefield ever came to massive mainstream success was with Battlefield 1, which pulled in around 25 million players at its peak.
Only a handful of titles in the FPS space have exceeded 100 million players: Fortnite, Call of Duty Warzone, Apex Legends, and possibly PUBG. None of those games were traditional premium shooters. All of them were free-to-play.
Tom and Ray didn’t hold back in their episode. The mood was critical, reflective, and at times brutally honest about where Battlefield stands today, and what EA’s 100-million goal really means.
Tom, surprisingly, agrees with EA’s ambition, at least on a theoretical level. He argues that Battlefield does have the potential to reach that milestone, but only if the right vision, leadership, and infrastructure are in place. Tom recognizes that the franchise has become a joke to many in recent years, with every release feeling like a soft reboot with no consistent identity. From Battlefield 1’s WWI setting to 2042’s futuristic chaos, players have struggled to find a clear throughline.
But Tom sees EA’s restructuring—bringing in heavy hitters like Vince Zampella and Byron Beede—as a necessary correction. He believes Battlefield has the technical and creative potential to compete with Fortnite, Warzone, and Apex Legends, all of which have hit (or come close to) the 100-million player mark. His argument hinges on the possibility that, if Battlefield goes free-to-play with a strong live service model and compelling identity, it could reach that massive audience. He doesn't blindly agree with the strategy, but he sees the reasoning behind it.
Ray, on the other hand, is unconvinced. He believes the 100-million goal is not just unrealistic, it’s a fantasy. No Battlefield game has ever come close to such numbers, with Battlefield 3 (one of the franchise's peak titles) selling around 15 million copies. He emphasized that no amount of ambition can substitute for consistent execution, something Battlefield has sorely lacked.
More importantly, Ray argues that chasing trends and player counts is what has hurt the franchise in the first place. He warns that trying to mimic Fortnite or Call of Duty without understanding what made those games successful will lead Battlefield down a dangerous path of losing its identity. “Do we really want Battlefield to lose its identity to hit 100 million players?” he asked during the podcast.
Both Tom and Ray agree: Battlefield has potential. Always has. But potential means nothing without proper execution, and execution has been Battlefield’s Achilles heel for the better part of a decade.
Ray sees EA’s 100-million goal as yet another case of corporate fantasy overriding creative integrity. He criticized the spreadsheet-driven mindset dominating AAA development, where milestone charts matter more than game quality.
Tom sympathizes with the ambition, acknowledging that if EA gets the Battle Royale mode right, and if the game leans into a smart live-service model while preserving Battlefield’s identity, then there might be a path forward. But that’s a long list of “ifs”.
They also emphasized how crunch culture, management overreach, and unrealistic timelines are hurting not only the game, but the people making it. Developers at Ridgeline were expected to produce triple-A results on triple-A timelines without a foundation. And then they were shut down.
“You don't build a skyscraper on wet concrete,” Ray explained. “And that's exactly what EA is doing.”
Tom was particularly disheartened by the loss of Marcus Lehto’s vision for a Battlefield narrative universe, an idea he had championed and followed for years.
“When Ridgeline was shut down, I knew. I said it then, it’s over for that vision. And now it’s confirmed, all been scrapped. Millions wasted. That pisses me off.”
The Battlefield One Podcast has never shied away from harsh truths, and this episode is no exception. The future of Battlefield hangs in the balance. On one hand, Battlefield Labs’ internal playtests show potential, and the multiplayer experience could be a return to form. On the other hand, development woes, abandoned visions, and corporate mismanagement threaten to derail everything.
Still, there’s hope. Tom remains optimistic that the right people are now in charge. Ray insists that until the development culture changes and management stops interfering, the same mistakes will keep happening.
EA’s next Battlefield title has a lot riding on it. Not just in dollars, but in reputation, community trust, and the future of one of gaming’s most iconic franchises. Whether it succeeds or stumbles, the journey there will be a lesson for the industry, and we at Battlefield One Podcast will be here to cover every step of it.
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.
Before you go... Thank you for reading this article from Battlefield One Podcast - we appreciate you taking the time to be on this website and read everything we have to say. If you enjoyed what you read, be sure to check out our full podcast episodes, where we discuss the history, chaos, news, updates and community "temperature" behind the Battlefield franchise in even more detail.
This website is entirely ad-free and independently run. We’re able to keep it online, maintain the archive of all our episodes, and keep creating new content thanks to the generous support from our listeners through Patreon and direct donations. If you value what we’re building here and want to help us keep going, please consider subscribing or making a contribution.
Every bit of support means the world to us and helps us stay focused on what matters - delivering honest, detailed, no nonsense Battlefield related content without compromise.
Please go to Patreon.com/TheLankySoldier or our dedicated donation page on this website, Battlefieldone.net/Donation
