Battlefield is a rather storied franchise in gaming, but one that has experienced a wealth of bumps as well, marked most notably by a less than stellar launch of Battlefield 2042.
Today, EA and DICE announced some organizational changes aimed at bringing Battlefield back to the forefront while further capitalizing on the pedigree of the name.
First, DICE GM Oskar Gabrielson is leaving the company to pursue new endeavors. Rebecka Coutaz, the former Studio Director at Ubisoft Annecy, is taking over for Gabrielson as GM of DICE.
With Gabrielson departing, Head of Respawn Entertainment, Vince Zampella, will be taking a more intimate role with Battlefield. According to a report from Gamespot, he’ll be overseeing the entire franchise and all of its aspects.
EA’s COO, Laura Miele, had the following to say about Zampella:
“He creates culture-defining entertainment that resonants beyond games. We are bringing one of the most influential and talented individuals in entertainment to a franchise that is ready to be unleashed into the modern era of gaming. It’s an extraordinary inflection point in game history. His ability to lead studios and bring developers together so they can create world-class experiences is unmatched,” Miele said. “I believe the structure, process, and vision he brings will enable Battlefield to excel like never before. No one knows shooters and live services better than Vince.”
In parallel, Marcus Lehto, who recently joined EA’s new studio in Seattle, will work directly with DICE and Ripple Effect on Battlefield 2042 and the franchise as a whole.
A few weeks ago I mentioned that I joined @EA , and now it's awesome to finally talk about what I'm doing at EA.@Battlefield has long been one of my favorite franchises and I'm super excited to be part of a large and growing team of talented developers and studios! https://t.co/oUu4Ob7NaO
— Marcus Lehto (@game_fabricator) December 2, 2021
According to the report from Gamespot, Byron Beed, the Call of Duty veteran hired by EA to grow Battlefield, will also play a key role. Beed had the following to say:
Lehto and his team in Seattle will expand Battlefield 2042’s narrative across a “variety of experiences.” These will lay the foundation for “storytelling opportunities now and well into the future,” Beede teased. Whatever Lehto’s team creates, it will show up in “later seasons” for Battlefield 2042 and “beyond.”
“While he and his team in the Seattle area are just getting started on building the Battlefield world of tomorrow, their work will shape later seasons for 2042 and beyond,” Beede said. “This new studio will act as the driver for narrative in tight collaboration with DICE and Ripple Effect Studios to help build great player experiences in the Battlefield universe.”
At the end of the day, millions of fans love the Battlefield franchise and want to see nothing but the best from it. That includes all of us here at Seasoned Gaming. We’re very excited that EA has a broader plan to improve and expand Battlefield, and we’ll be paying close attention in the coming years. Best of luck to all involved!
