- EA measured mobile and PC/console similarly, failing to understand the pulse.
- The performance of other titles fell hard on Battlefield Mobile.
- Despite working so hard, EA choose to not support the developer studio.
Battlefield Mobile, the mobile version of the popular Battlefield franchise, was an action title from Electronic Arts. After being announced as a mobile port, the game went through several alpha and beta phases and finally got canceled in 2023. Fans like us were in high hopes to test EA’s flagship title on mobile but it remained a dream. However, we feel there were several reasons behind this mishap. As Battlefield Mobile remains a missed opportunity, we will explore the behind-the-scenes in this article.
Featured Column – The Missed Opportunity
Ever played a game and thought “Oh no, what a missed opportunity!” Exploring the same sentiment is GamingonPhone’s The Missed Opportunity column which explores failed chances in gameplay, design, or even marketing that could have elevated these mobile titles. Each piece delves into what went wrong and what could’ve been done better.
Battlefield Mobile went dark along with its developer Industrial Toys
Electronic Arts acquired Industrial Toys back in 2018 and started developing the title in 2020. And a year later, the title’s mobile port news surfaced. The announcement was followed by alpha and beta tests. But EA’s flagship tier title was shut down along with another battle royale and another possible hit game Apex Legends Mobile.
Industrial Toys founder Alex Seropian talked about the shutdown of Battlefield Mobile in an interview and brought up several inside insights. The shutdown of Apex Legends Mobile is considered one of the few reasons behind taking down Battlefield Mobile.
“It was alright at the beginning but then along came Battlefield 2042, Apple’s IDFA changes, and Apex Legends Mobile“, he said. Altogether, these issues made it harder for Industrial Toys to secure more funds. Apart from the shutdown of the development, the studio Industrial Toys also closed in 2023, as decided by Electronic Arts.
To sum up, the key reasons, as shared with the players so far, are three things that took EA to the verge of making such a decision. Calling off the title’s development may or may not be the best thing that the company did but mobile gamers would have experienced something big that matters at the end of the day. The early death of Apex Legends Mobile is another heartbreak, indeed.
Emerging titles fueled Battlefield Mobile to become a missed opportunity
By the time the developers were planning to release the game, there were strong franchises in the market already. Fortnite was released, PUBG Mobile was dominating the battle royale genre, and COD Mobile was on the next in line. So, it was evident that Battlefield Mobile would face a strong challenge. Thus, it needed crucial backups like people and finance.
The action shooter genre is filled with many games but lacks consistency in performance. When a game is online multiplayer and has PvP, it needs critical maintenance. Besides, the team needs to work tirelessly to introduce updates and bring new elements, events, mechanisms, etc for its live operations.
Thus, only the big studios can afford such risk. As a result, though there are an overwhelming number of action shooter games, only a few get attention from players. Developing on the big IPs is also an extra responsibility. The pressure was higher after Battlefield 2042 failed. However, the dedicated team of 120 members was ready to take the game to the next level.
EA had something else in mind and stated that it wanted to find better ways to make mobile gaming more exciting. From the interview with Seropian, you probably guessed EA wasn’t ready to spend more on a mobile title after 2042 failed. Despite EA’s billion-dollar revenue in those years, still the company decided to scrap the game.
As per the words from Seropian, Battlefield was a “bespoke experience for mobile“. So, losing the game did cost the gamers from having a distinguished experience. But we will never know what we missed.
Battlefield Mobile could have been a great game for action fans
Action shooter titles have a long bond with gamers, creating a legacy with each franchise. Most of us who feel a connection with action games and playing for a long term now will agree that franchises like Battlefield, Call of Duty, Far Cry, Assassins Creed, etc. created the culture today. Later, the path was followed and carried by the latest sensations we see today.
The world was yet to test the game hands-on when it shut down. It was available in a beta version in some select regions such as Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. Players showed mixed feedback on the beta version.
Though it was beta and errors were unavoidable, players felt the absence of more interesting elements than the existing ones. It had a quad bike system but without any aerial vehicle, the name remained incomplete. It’s pretty easy to start building up a habit or interest in mobile gaming now. But the concept of mobile gaming wasn’t here until the smartphone evolution took place.
When mobile phones become capable of handling heavy games, we’re excited to see our beloved titles getting mobile ports. So, it was about time to see which titles would come to mobile devices and Battlefield Mobile appeared by creating a massive hype. The game was first announced in 2021 with an expected full-version release in early 2023.
After being in alpha and beta in some selected regions, EA shut it down. The game had the potential, name, and fame to be a new sensation in the action shooter genre, but EA’s thoughts were the opposite and the game met an early death.
Read our other missed opportunity articles:
- Operation Apocalypse: A title that cancelled its own appointment
- Miraibo GO and its Unrealized Potential
- Everdale: Two Quiet Goodbyes
- New State Mobile: A dead game tells no tales
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