Rumors began to swirl over the weekend that Electronic Arts, and the group of development teams now known as Battlefield Studios, would be revealing a new community playtesting program imminently. Well, the rumors were true, as Battlefield Labs was revealed on Monday. Essentially, Battlefield Labs is an active testing environment where gameplay mechanics, map layouts, and other features can be playtested, not dissimilar from what other live service games do nowadays, particularly on PC.
Labs is likely a response to the poor reception of Battlefield 2042, which had a rocky launch and featured hero shooter mechanics that did not totally resonate with the core Battlefield audience. Battlefield Studios knows a classic Battlefield experience is just what the doctor has ordered up for the next game, and based on the short pre-alpha gameplay teaser in a new video below, they’re cooking with straight gas. And that’s coming from someone with several hundred hours in Battlefield 2042.
Currently, there is no date for when the first Battlefield Labs tests will commence, but they will take place on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, which also means that the next Battlefield game will leave last-generation consoles behind. Interested players can sign up on the Battlefield Labs website to request access.
