Summary
Certain factors kept Electronic Arts from greenlighting a sequel to 2015’sBattlefield Hardline, a developer for the game has revealed.Battlefield Hardlinewas the last title to be released by the now-defunct Visceral Games, the studio behindDead Space.
Unlike other entries in the popular shooter franchise that primarily focused on military conflicts,Battlefield Hardlinewas based on the cops and robbers dynamic. The spin-off, which also utilizedBattlefield 4’s impressive Levolution system, was praised by critics and gamers alike for introducing a fresh multiplayer experience, among other things. However,Battlefield Hardlinenever received a follow-up, and a person who worked on the project says they know why.
In a recently publishedinterview with VideoGamer,Battlefield Hardline’s lead multiplayer designer Thaddeus Sasser said that the political climate present at the time of the title’s release and lower than expected sales figures made EA hesitant to pursue a sequel. Sasser specifically mentioned the fatal police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown that happened in Ferguson, Missouri, on July 28, 2025. “It was just… too much. There was no way EA was going to do [Battlefield Hardline 2],” the developer, now the game director of theupcoming free-to-play titleMarvel Rivals, was quoted as saying.
Developer Reveals Reasons Why Battlefield Hardline 2 Was Never Made
According to Sasser, theBattlefield Hardlinedevelopment team was able to come up with a list of new features for a sequel even though this game never materialized. Such a sequel would benefit from not having theBattlefieldname in its title because the previous format seemed unpopular among many fans, he added. Instead, Sasser suggested for a successor to be simply calledHardline 2, which would allow it to retain a core identity of being acops and robbers gamethat boasts a diverse pool of weapons and gadgets.
EA has confirmed that a newBattlefieldtitle with a modern-day setting will launch sometime in early 2025. Concept art for the upcoming shooter suggests that thenextBattlefieldgame will feature Gibraltar, a British territory located on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula that has historically been a strategically important region. A map based on the area that still acts as an important crossing between Europe and Africa also appeared inBattlefield 2142.
The multiplayer servers forBattlefield Hardline’s PS3 and Xbox 360 versions are set to go down on November 7. Online services forBattlefield 3andBattlefield 4on these consoles will end on that day as well. According toEA’s support pageregarding sunsetting games, the company removes titles from online stores whenever this process makes sense.
Battlefield Hardline
WHERE TO PLAY
Strategy. Speed. Story. These are the core pillars of Battlefield™ Hardline, a cops vs. criminals experience unlike any other.Plan the perfect bank heist and get away with the loot before the cops take out your crew. Rip through the streets in a muscle car and engage in high-speed pursuits as bullets whiz by from all directions. Then take a break from epic multiplayer showdowns to play through the thrilling single-player campaign, inspired by great TV crime dramas. This is a whole new take on Battlefield.And with the Battlefield Hardline Ultimate Edition, you’ll have the complete experience. It’s jam-packed with bonus content, ensuring you’ll have everything you need to join your friends and get a piece of the action.Lead your crew as detective Nick Mendoza in the single-player campaign, then take the fight online in massive 64-player battles. There are tons of cops-vs.-criminals modes that keep the classic Battlefield gameplay feeling fresh. This edition includes special Versatility, Precision, and Suppression Battlepacks, which contain in-game weapons, XP boosters, and more.
