Battlefield 5 to Be Set in WWI and Release in 2016, Claims Retail Listing

OK well this would be surprising if true. According to a Swiss listing for Battlefield 5 (thanks to @Doctor_Cupcakes on Twitter for digging it up), apparently the next game in EA’s flagship FPS series will be taking place during World War I, if that is the listing’s description is to be believed. Here’s what we’re looking at:

What you’re going to want to home in on up there is the following: “Mehrspieler Taktik Shooter im 1. Weltkrieg” which translates to “Multiplayer tactical shooter in WW1” (thanks NeoGaf). Also featured in that listing is a release date of 10/26/16 (Americanized that for you <3), which is certainly in the realm of possibility for the Battlefield series. Battlefield 4 released on Oct. 29 back in 2013.

I know many of us are tired of the Modern/Futuristic setting, but EA taking us all the way back to the Great War would be a hell of a bold move. Our very own Lucas Croft wrote about a return to World War II, but he probably didn’t think World War I would reappear first instead, AND be the setting of a major game like Battlefield 5. It’s a setting that if nothing else, would certainly be fresh, as it’s one that has been sorely underrepresented in all media and not just video games.

World War I as a setting has mostly been overshadowed by World War II, which is far more romanticized in video games and media in general.  There are a number of different reasons you can point to that would possibly explain why WWI just doesn’t get represented much, but it most likely has a lot to do with the nature of the warfare. Much of the fighting that took place on the Western Front was spent in trenches and featured young people getting massacred shortly after “going over the top” to assault the enemies’ trench. For much of the war, defensive technology surpassed offensive, making it not nearly as mobile or “sexy” as the fighting that is generally associated with World War II.

History lesson aside, before anyone gets excited about a new World War I video game or Battlefield 5 in general, let’s reiterate that this is just a rumor, and listings have certainly been inaccurate before. Until EA confirms this new direction for Battlefield 5, and that October release date, it’s all speculation for now. Juicy speculation, but speculation none the less.