At least Battlefield V isn't ditching single-player
V for Victory campaign.
Call of Duty looks like it's ditched single-player - but rival shooter Battlefield is sticking with it.
Speaking to investors, EA boss Andrew Wilson said the next Battlefield game, which we know to be Battlefield V, has "compelling single-player stories".
Here's the quote in full:
"With our next Battlefield game, the team at DICE is bringing the intensity of combat to life in new and unexpected ways. Every battle is unique, and every mode brings its own challenges - from the way you interact with the environment around you, to compelling single-player stories, to the next level of large-scale multiplayer that spans across multiple maps and modes.
"This will be a deep and fully-featured shooter and ongoing service that will evolve with major new experiences for our community, beginning right from launch. Building on the success of Battlefield 1 and taking inspiration from DICE's core DNA, this new game will advance the state of the art for the franchise, while still delivering the signature gameplay and Battlefield moments that have captivated and grown our global community."
That's a whole lot of hyperbolic corporate doublespeak, but it's interesting to note Wilson's comment about single-player and Battlefield, which comes hot on the heels of reports about Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 ditching a single-player campaign altogether.
It's also worth noting Wilson said "single-player stories", which suggests Battlefield V will follow the campaign model of Battlefield 1, which told various World War 1-themed stories from the perspective of multiple characters. Battlefield V, we understand, is set during World War 2, with the V doubling as a reference to Winston Churchill's V for Victory sign.
Wilson did not mention the battle royale genre, however, which is in contrast to recent comments by Activision boss Bobby Kotick. Black Ops 4 is rumoured to have a battle royale mode at launch (although it may not have 100 players initially). Battlefield developer DICE, however, is reportedly working on a battle royale prototype.
"When we see people innovate in an interesting and impactful way, we're very quick to capture inspiration from innovation," Kotick said last week.
"When we see things appeal to our audiences, were very good to be inspired by those."
With E3 fast approaching, both EA and Activision are set to reveal their hands soon.