Update 12/2 1:03 pm PT: EA game director and former Halo creative art director Marcus Lehto has confirmed that he will be working on a Battlefield related project for the Battlefield universe.
In a Tweet, Lehto explains, "A few weeks ago I mentioned that I joined EA, and now it's awesome to finally talk about what I'm doing at EA." He continues, "Battlefield has long been one of my favorite franchises and I'm super excited to be part of a large and growing team of talented developers and studios!"
Lehto's new studio in the Seattle area is looking for new talent with 5-10 years of experience in development with FPS titles as the studio is being built from scratch.
A few weeks ago I mentioned that I joined @EA , and now it's awesome to finally talk about what I'm doing at EA.@Battlefield has long been one of my favorite franchises and I'm super excited to be part of a large and growing team of talented developers and studios! https://t.co/oUu4Ob7NaO
— Marcus Lehto (@game_fabricator) December 2, 2021
EA is not only going to continue supporting the recently released Battlefield 2042 but also plans to expand the franchise to create a "connected Battlefield universe. Respawn co-founder Vince Zampella is also now overseeing the Battlefield franchise.
Speaking with GameSpot, Zampella says, "We will continue to evolve and grow Battlefield 2042, and we'll explore new kinds of experiences and business models along the way that we can add to that foundation to provide an awesome array of experiences for our players."
As for what could be in store for a "connected universe," Battlefield Mobile is in development over at Industrial Toys, along with DICE working on a next-gen Battlefield title for both PC and consoles. Additionally, Ripple Effect Studios, formerly DICE LA, is also working on a "yet-to-be-announced project" that will follow Battlefield 2042.
Halo co-creator and founder of Disintegration studio V1 Interactive Marcus Lehto also recently joined EA to lead a new studio that focuses on first-person games, which could indicate something related to Battlefield as well.
The concept of a connected universe for Battlefield doesn't necessarily have to be in the form of games, as the term "experiences" is rather broad. "We intend to build a Battlefield universe, one with multiple projects that are interconnected with the player at the center," says Zampella.
"We plan to grow Battlefield and meet players where they play through various experiences and business models, including our upcoming Battlefield Mobile coming in 2022 from Alex Seropian and Industrial Toys."
EA isn't the only studio with the intention of creating similar connected experiences. Ubisoft is reportedly working on Assassin's Creed Infinity, which looks to be some sort of evolving platform.
George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @yinyangfooey