Battlefield Mobile release canceled as EA stops development

Electronic Arts made a shocking announcement earlier today when it said that Apex Legends Mobile was being shut down under a year after its release. This isn’t the only mobile game affected, though, as the company also said that it was stopping development of the upcoming Battlefield Mobile.

Battlefield Mobile was first announced back in mid-2021 as the handheld of the hit video game franchise. Mobile gaming has really exploded over the past few years and it wasn’t surprising to see EA jump on the trend with Apex Mobile and Battlefield Mobile.

EA had said that the game will have classic maps and modes from the franchise, including some mobile-only content. The game ran several tests in 2021 for the title.

EA had initially stated that it planned to release Battlefield Mobile in 2022. However, the developer had been suspiciously silent on the development of the game for the past six months. Now, the reason behind this has been revealed.

In a blog post today, the developer said it was making the decision “to stop the development of the current Battlefield mobile title.”

EA’s announcement has caught a lot of mobile gamers off guard. Apex Legends Mobile had a really successful launch when it was released in May clocking nearly $5 million in revenue from the first week itself.

Many had touted the game to be the CoD Mobile-killer. However, its initial hype quickly faded away. Much of this can be blamed on EA itself, though, which didn’t capitalize on its popularity. The developer barely promoted the game in the key mobile-first markets in SEA, Latin America, and South Asia. On top of this, no commitments were made towards esports as well.

For Battlefield Mobile, on the other hand, EA said that it was pivoting from the current direction of the franchise. It seems that the developer wants to focus on its key revenue streams on its console and PC.

This is unsurprising to see. EA released its FY23Q3 financial results today, failing to hit revenue estimates. Combined with the announcement of the closing of Apex Mobile, the EA stock fell by 10 percent in after-hours trading.

As a result, Andrew Wilson, the CEO of EA, said that it was taking measures to reduce expenses and refocusing its investments in key growth areas. It appears that Apex Legends Mobile and Battlefield Mobile aren’t a part of these plans.

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