Summary
The upcomingBattlefield 6is taking inspiration for its single-player campaign from one of 2024’s most acclaimed films,Civil War. While the series is best known for its large-scale multiplayer combat, developers at EA Motive are drawing narrative cues from the silver screen.Battlefield 6is slated for release by March 2026, although the exact date is still under wraps.
Battlefield 6is currently in development with EA Motive contributing primarily to the single-player campaign, while DICE focuses on the game’s crucial multiplayer component. Motive is a fairly recently established part of EA, founded by Jade Raymond, a former Ubisoft executive. The studio is known for itsexcellent work on theDead SpaceremakeandStar Wars: Squadrons, both of which offer great single-player experiences.
In an interview with Inverse, two of the lead developers within Motive have opened up on their creative process. Both expressed how they found inspiration in other media, with two particular works getting a mention. Creative Director Roman Campos-Oriola has citedLioness, a series about a real-life CIA operation, as a key reference point, while Senior Producer Philippe Ducharme mentionedCivil War, Alex Garland’s 2024 film. These references seem to confirm thatBattlefield 6’s campaign will not be a run-of-the-millBattlefieldexperience.
EA Motive Bringing Deeper Narrative to Battlefield 6
According to Ducharme, Garland’s movie depicts things that reflect what Motive is trying to accomplish withBattlefield 6’s single-player experience.Civil Wartells a story about journalists covering a fictional American secession conflict, focusing as much on the suffering of individuals as on the conflict itself. Campos-Oriola also reveals that, similarly to the Paramount+ TV showLioness, the campaign features “talented but ordinary people put in extraordinary situations.”
This direction is distinct in a franchise better known for multiplayer gameplay and large-scale warfare than exploration of complex narratives, although a fewgreat storylines exist inBattlefield. While multiplayer will still be a core component, the care Electronic Arts is putting intoBattlefield 6’s campaign with Motive’s involvement could pay dividends in competing against the likes ofCall of Duty. In addition to the single-player campaign, developed with the help of Criterion, Motive is also designing multiplayer maps for the game alongside DICE, perhaps including a few influences there too.
While the narrative ambitions ofBattlefield 6are promising, many of the fans are likely looking forward to an engaging shooter experience first and foremost. However, Ducharme and Campos-Oriola recognize thatBattlefieldisn’tDead Space. They aim to provide both narrative depth at a slower pace and thetough-as-nails combatBattlefieldis known for, which should bode well for the franchise.
