Why Battlefield Can Beat Call Of Duty This Year

Battlefield 2042 had a strong showing at E3, where Call Of Duty's yearly plan was notably absent. Right now, it looks like Battlefield is winning, but Activision could come back this summer with strong reveals for Vanguard and Warzone. It’s time to examine how these two juggernauts will go head to head. 

Developer DICE showed off a ton of promising features in Battlefield 2042 at E3 2021, including massive, purpose-built maps, a revamped conquest mode, 128-player matches, bots, vehicle combat, tornadoes, a battle pass with free and paid tiers, near-future gadgets, and a new class system. As we hurtle towards the early access release on October 15 and general launch on October 22, there's still a lot we don't know, and more announcements are coming from EA Play Live on July 22. We are also expecting an open beta and the non-battle royale mode Hazard Zone to be playable before launch. 

Meanwhile, Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Warzone have managed to alienate some Modern Warfare fans who could lean heavily towards Battlefield. Not to be counted out, Call Of Duty may announce their 2021 game in the near future, informally called Vanguard by the public, and rumors are swirling around a new and larger Warzone map.  

In this video, we take a look at why Battlefield 2042 feels like it's already winning this year, compared to Call Of Duty and the rumors that it’s returning to a World War setting. We're also going to look at pitfalls that DICE needs to avoid, like the perception its new specialists have been designed for monetization and microtransactions. Finally, we’re going to look at the current state of Cold War and Warzone, and how Warzone specifically became well balanced, how it's telling stories in a way that Battlefield hopes to repeat, and how Activision's yearly cycle could mess it all up.

Battlefield 2042 is set to release on October 22 for Playstation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The next-gen and PC versions will sport enhancements and a higher player count. Call Of Duty: Warzone is currently in Season 4 and can be played for free. The next Call Of Duty is being developed by Sledgehammer Games and is still expected to release in 2021, with some kind of reveal event hopefully this summer.