Summary
- Battlefield 6, codenamed Project Glacier, has a reported development cost of over $400 million.
- EA is aiming for an ambitious 100 million player target, rivalling Fortnite and Call of Duty.
- Development is reportedly facing delays, burnout, and internal mismanagement across four studios.
EA’s Massive Ambitions for Battlefield 6 May Be Too Much
According to a new report by Ars Technica, Electronic Arts is going all-in on the upcoming Battlefield 6, internally codenamed Project Glacier.
With a combined effort from four studios—DICE, Motive, Criterion, and Ripple Effect—the game is reportedly the most expensive Battlefield title ever made, with development costs exceeding $400 million as of 2023.
What’s shocking, though, is the ambitious goal EA leadership has set for the game. Sources claim EA is targeting a total user base of 100 million players. That’s an extremely bold projection, especially considering the entire Battlefield franchise hadn’t sold that many units combined as of 2022.
By comparison, Battlefield 2042 only reached 22 million players, while Battlefield 1, the series’ best-selling title, topped out around 30 million.
Despite EA’s high hopes of matching giants like Fortnite and Call of Duty, even internal developers appear sceptical. As one source explained, “We’re predicting we won’t have to cannibalise anyone else’s sales… there’s just such an appetite out there.” But even they admit the available data doesn’t support that kind of explosive user growth.
One EA developer told Ars Technica, “Obviously, Battlefield has never achieved those numbers before,” adding, “There’s nothing in the market research or our quality deliverables that indicates we would be anywhere near that.”
Ambition vs. Reality: Missed Deadlines and Developer Burnout
While EA aims high, the development process seems to be struggling behind the scenes. Reports describe missed core deadlines, an overworked global development structure, and severe staff burnout.
One anonymous employee mentioned that many team members have taken mental health leaves ranging from two weeks to eight months due to the pressure. “There’s a large number compared to other projects I’ve been on,” they said.
Another staffer revealed they were removed from meetings after raising concerns about the lack of proper risk planning and the absence of a solid feature list once the game entered full production (referred to internally as “gate three”).
In addition, the Battlefield 6 campaign mode—which is expected to last six hours—seems to be lagging behind the rest of the game. One insider noted that “they might have to cut part of the single-player just to release it with any campaign at all.”
While Battlefield Labs, an early testbed for features, has received positive feedback for evoking the spirit of Bad Company 2, the question remains—can a game burdened by a $400M+ budget, four studios, and sky-high expectations deliver on its promise?
