News regarding the new Battlefield title currently in limited testing has caught everyone's attention. According to reports, EA is setting its sights on an ambitious goal: securing 100 million players for this project.

IT news outlet Ars Technica reported on the 2nd (local time) that they had spoken with various former and current EA employees regarding the project's status. Following the disappointing performance of Battlefield 2042, EA reportedly pushed for a new title under the codename 'Glacier' and brought in three industry heavyweights, including the renowned Call of Duty creator Vince Zampella.

EA management believes that with the right decisions and sufficient investment, the next Battlefield has the potential to compete with the likes of Call of Duty and Fortnite. Consequently, the team is aiming for 100 million players within a certain window post-launch, and as of early 2023, the development budget was reportedly increased to $400 million (approximately 540 billion KRW).

However, no single Battlefield title has ever reached such figures. Battlefield 2042 recorded roughly 22 million players, and even the series' most successful entry, Battlefield 1 (2016), only managed about 30 million. Ars Technica cited sources suggesting that only a tiny fraction of the development team believes hitting the 100 million mark is feasible, with many staff at DICE in Stockholm reportedly expressing significant skepticism.

Even looking beyond Battlefield, it is rare for a single premium, boxed-copy game to reach 100 million sales. Only titans like GTA 5, the indie juggernaut Minecraft, and the classic puzzle game Tetris have managed to cross that threshold.

If we assume EA is serious about that '100 million player' goal, it is highly likely that the new Battlefield is being envisioned not as a one-off retail purchase, but as a long-term live service platform. The plan likely moves beyond simple launch sales and DLC, aiming for a five-year-plus horizon similar to established online games.

Another possibility to consider is a transition to a Free-to-Play (F2P) model to lower the barrier to entry. Since the focus is on a player count of '100 million' rather than a specific revenue target, adopting an F2P structure would leverage the Battlefield brand's name recognition to capture a massive initial audience.

Ars Technica noted that they reached out to EA for an official comment on this story, but the publisher declined to provide a response.