Hardline Developer Explains Why a Sequel Never Happened

Certain factors kept Electronic Arts from greenlighting a sequel to 2015’s Battlefield Hardline, a developer for the game has revealed. Battlefield Hardline was the last title to be released by the now-defunct Visceral Games, the studio behind Dead Space.

Unlike other entries in the popular shooter franchise that primarily focused on military conflicts, Battlefield Hardline was based on the cops and robbers dynamic. The spin-off, which also utilized Battlefield 4‘s impressive Levolution system, was praised by critics and gamers alike for introducing a fresh multiplayer experience, among other things. However, Battlefield Hardline never received a follow-up, and a person who worked on the project says they know why.

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In a recently published interview 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 August 9, 2014. “It was just… too much. There was no way EA was going to do [Battlefield Hardline 2],” the developer, now the game director of the upcoming free-to-play title Marvel Rivals, was quoted as saying.

Developer Reveals Reasons Why Battlefield Hardline 2 Was Never Made

According to Sasser, the Battlefield Hardline development 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 the Battlefield name in its title because the previous format seemed unpopular among many fans, he added. Instead, Sasser suggested for a successor to be simply called Hardline 2, which would allow it to retain a core identity of being a cops and robbers game that boasts a diverse pool of weapons and gadgets.

EA has confirmed that a new Battlefield title with a modern-day setting will launch sometime in early 2025. Concept art for the upcoming shooter suggests that the next Battlefield game 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 in Battlefield 2142.

The multiplayer servers for Battlefield Hardline‘s PS3 and Xbox 360 versions are set to go down on November 7. Online services for Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4 on these consoles will end on that day as well. According to EA’s support page regarding sunsetting games, the company removes titles from online stores whenever this process makes sense.

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.

Released

March 17, 2015

Publisher(s)

Electronic Arts

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer , Local Multiplayer

Engine

Frostbite

ESRB

m

OpenCritic Rating

Fair

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