Battlefield 6 last-gen reports clarified by leaker

Well-known Battlefield and Call of Duty insider Tom Henderson clarifies previous statements on Battlefield 6's cross-gen launch.

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Back in January, leaker Tom Henderson aka LongSensation said Battlefield 6 could come to Xbox One and PS4. Now Henderson says Battlefield will be next-gen only, and offers quick clarification on those previous rumors.

Battlefield 6 last-gen reports clarified by leaker 54

Note: None of the rumored info outlined here has been confirmed by EA, and the publisher has yet to make any official announcements on Battlefield 6's content other than a Spring reveal, a launch in 2021, and the promise of "all-out military warfare" that "takes full advantage of next-gen consoles."

Insider Tom Henderson has been stealing headlines lately with his Battlefield info. Henderson has outlined a possible map for Battlefield 6, and claims the game will have huge environmental disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis, and that it takes place in 2025 with high-tech robotic dogs, drones, and other advanced war machines.

The biggest claim is that the new Battlefield will be next-gen exclusive on PS5, Xbox Series X, and Series S, and skip the PS4 and Xbox One systems entirely. We actually predicted this back in 2020 based on how EA talked about the project.

The new rumor contradicts what Henderson said in January 2021. "I was told the next Battlefield will also be coming to last-gen consoles, that being the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One," the insider claimed in a now-deleted video published in January 2021.

We recently reached out to Henderson for clarification:

"Since then I've got a couple of better sources, which have said they don't believe it to be the case," he told us.

The reality is that secondhand info will often change depending on the source, and depending on the project itself. If game development isn't a sure bet, reporting on (and spreading) rumors is likewise as shaky.

EA has yet to confirm whether or not the new Battlefield will release on last-gen hardware. Given the publisher's lofty promises of pushing the PS5 and Xbox Series consoles to their limits, we don't feel it's very likely insofar as a technical standpoint.

Skipping an established ~160 million install base of consoles does seem bad for business, though, at least in terms of actual game sales volume.

Luckily EA prioritizes live services over full game sales, and with billions in revenue every year, EA can afford to take the hit. The game has been rumored to launch on Game Pass...but this could further hurt launch game sales in combination with skipping last-gen.

The potential upside is a big bonus from Microsoft, more engagement across the unknown next-gen Xbox console ecosystem, and potentially higher live service revenues.

Besides, Game Pass is also linked to an increase in full game sales--something we call the Game Pass Effect.

Here's everything EA has said about the new Battlefield to date:

EA CEO Andrew Wilson, October 2019

"DICE is targeting new innovation that will be enabled by next-gen platforms and a growing install base on the new consoles."

"Battlefield is known for being the cutting edge, bleeding edge in digital fidelity and gameplay and multiplayer, and launching into next-gen platforms was going to offer tremendous possibilities of innovation. Launching battlefield in FY2022 is a strong move for us, it offers us stronger room for growth."

EA CFO Blake Jorgensen, January 2020

"We expect live services to continue to drive growth in Fiscal 2021 and for growth to accelerate in Fiscal 2022, led by a new Battlefield."

"You should assume the power of those consoles is much more than existing consoles. We can do a lot more. You will start to see things over the next couple of years that will blow people's minds."

"The power will be substantially greater than existing consoles, and it'll be exciting to see how new games will evolve using that power. The team at DICE will do some really amazing things."

EA CEO Andrew Wilson, January 2020

"New consoles are coming and we'll be ready to lead with some of our top titles. We have really strong traction on the next Battlefield game and I'm really excited about it."

EA CEO Andrew Wilson, February 2021

"We're looking forward to sharing a lot more about our FY22 plans in the months ahead, including our next Battlefield experience, which will mark a return to all-out military warfare. The game takes full advantage of the power of next-generation platforms to bring massive, immersive battles to life with more players than ever before."

"Featuring maps with unprecedented scale, the next edition of Battlefield takes all the destruction, player agency, vehicle and weapon combat that the franchise is known for and elevates it to another level. The team is focused and the game is ahead of our internal milestones. We'll reveal the game in the spring, and deliver a defining Battlefield experience for our players in the 2021 holiday season."

EA CFO Blake Jorgensen, February 2021

"I can tell you now that the Battlefield team is doing an incredible job. They're way ahead of where they were in prior product cycles, on track for their earliest feature complete in franchise history."

EA's Laura Miele, March 2021

"It's a love letter to our fans. We want it to be great. We're going to put all the resources we have on this."

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Derek joined the TweakTown team in 2015 and has since reviewed and played 1000s of hours of new games. Derek is absorbed with the intersection of technology and gaming, and is always looking forward to new advancements. With over six years in games journalism under his belt, Derek aims to further engage the gaming sector while taking a peek under the tech that powers it. He hopes to one day explore the stars in No Man's Sky with the magic of VR.

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