Recently, we reported on the massive growth of Battlefield 2042’s player base following a free-to-play weekend that saw the game skyrocket up the charts. It was a monumental period for Battlefield fans the world over, but what’s remarkable is that, even out of the free-to-play window, the player count remained relatively consistent. Off the back of that revelation (and ongoing success), Electronic Arts has reportedly ‘doubled down’ on Battlefield 2042.

In 2021, Battlefield 2042 launched to a paltry reception, being heralded the world over as a failed shell of a game. It became the target of many jibes and the peak player count crashed lower and lower with each successive month that the game was struggling to survive. Now, Electronic Arts (and DICE) has reportedly committed to working harder than ever to fully revitalise Battlefield 2042 and push it into a much more resilient place.

Can It Make a Comeback?

Image Credit: EA DICE

Battlefield 2042 is a divisive title. There are plenty of fans of the franchise who won’t touch it, but at the same time, there are tens of thousands of players who have absolutely no issues with the game whatsoever. As a Battlefield veteran, I’ll stress that I’ll happily play (and can enjoy) Battlefield 2042, but I can honestly state that it’s far from being my favourite Battlefield game. That’s all well and good, but can Battlefield 2042 ever make a realistic comeback?

EA believes so. In a recent conference call to update investors and the wider gaming community about EA’s performance, Battlefield 2042’s position was discussed. Here’s what was said:

‘Just last month we launched Season 6 for Battlefield 2042, and our community is responding positively, driving record engagement on Steam. This illustrates the strength today and long-term potential of the franchise. Through innovation and creativity, our teams continue to support this huge community of fans while building towards the future of Battlefield.’

While it was ‘Season 6’ that was referenced as being the thing that players are responding positively to, it was the free-to-play weekend that paid off in dividends for Electronic Arts. But if they admit that, then they have to float the potential to make the game free-to-play permanently, and that’s certainly a discussion for another day.

Related: Battlefield and Halo Are Recovering

Could Battlefield See a Resurgence?

There’s plenty of potential still wrapped up in the Battlefield franchise. Since Battlefield 1 was released in 2016, the community has been on a downhill slide, but with things turning around in Battlefield 2042, we could be starting to see the beginning of a tangible uptick. In recent discussions, it was revealed that Electronic Arts plans to completely ‘reimagine’ the Battlefield franchise and has drafted in several studios to work alongside DICE in creating whatever comes next.

As a die-hard Battlefield fan, it’s exciting. If we look back to the glory days of Battlefield, which is typically around 2011 – 2016 (ignoring Hardline), we see epic, destructive, action-packed, and emotional games that gave Call of Duty a run for its money. Can we get back to that? Only time will tell.

Related: Battlefield vs. Call of Duty