Battle Royale is far and away the latest dominant trend in online multiplayer gaming at the moment. These sorts of trends tend to come and go; MMOs, MOBAs, etc. all had their day when every other title seemed to be trying to get in on the market trend. Now, the market is becoming awash with battle royale games. However, with games like Fortnite offering battle royale gameplay for free, is there a possibility that EA and DICE will follow suit with the upcoming Battlefield V battle royale mode.
The Battlefield V Battle Royale Mode
During the recent first quarter investors’ call; EA was asked if it planned to include a free-to-play standalone battle royale mode, akin to Fortnite. Blake Jorgensen, the COO and CFO of EA, stated that the mode would not be treated as a standalone release; it was being treated like any other mode in Battlefield V. However, he appeared to suggest that EA might consider a standalone battle royale title, separate from Battlefield V; “We’re interested in experimenting with a free-to-play standalone game that might be in the shooter genre or another genre,” stated Jorgensen; “but I don’t think that’s how we’re looking at the Battlefield stuff right now.”
At present, the Battle Royale market has no shortage of competition. The meteoric rise and success of Fortnite and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds has spawned all manner of standalone releases or new game modes; all copying their battle royale format. Other developers have attempted to put their own spin on it; thus far, however, the two original dominant titles appear to have retained their positions at the top; especially Fortnite. As a free-to-play game, Fortnite has been able to draw in a massive audience. Without being free-to-play, it’s unclear how well Battlefield V will be able to compete in the same market. It could be that EA and DICE are simply curious and are seeking to gauge player interest in a battle royale game now, before working on a standalone battle royale game at some point in the future.