Respawn co-founder Vince Zampella new head of ‘Battlefield’ franchise

'Battlefield', forever

In a report from GameSpot, EA has announced major development restructuring to expand the Battlefield franchise, with Respawn’s Vince Zampella at the helm.

Zampella will be taking on a significant role, as he is now responsible for the entirety of the Battlefield franchise. DICE GM Oskar Gabrielson has also been announced to be leaving the company to pursue new ventures outside of EA. Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto is starting a new team in Seattle responsible for the broader storytelling in the Battlefield universe. EA has announced that they are looking to build a “connected Battlefield universe,” which includes Ripple Effect, the developer of Battlefield 2042’s Portal mode, working on a new Battlefield experience in 2042’s universe.

EA informed GameSpot that DICE, Ripple Effect, and Lehto’s new studio will collaborate on expanding and improving 2042. Anything outside of that will be an extension to the Battlefield universe. EA hasn’t provided any specifics on what these new experiences might be or if they’re even going to be just video games.

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Zampella will continue his managerial responsibilities at Respawn, including watching over Apex Legends and other unannounced projects. EA chief operating officer Laura Miele said Zampella is the right person for taking charge of the Battlefield franchise, saying, “His ability to lead studios and bring developers together so they can create world-class experiences is unmatched.”

battlefield 2042
Battlefield 2042. Credit: EA

Lehto’s Seattle-based studio will oversee the narrative, storytelling, and character development opportunities in the Battlefield series, and that it will do so over a “variety of experiences.” This quote comes from Byran Beede, longtime Call of Duty veteran hired by EA earlier this year,  who also said that these will lay the foundation for “storytelling opportunities now and well into the future.”

Ripple Effect will continue to support Portal while it works on a “new experience”, but the boss of the studio, Christian Grass, told GameSpot that he isn’t able to comment on what they’re working on.

Gabrielson also spoke of his departure, saying, “It is hard to put into words my passion for our studio, our teams and the Battlefield franchise… DICE has some of the best talent in the industry and the team is in great hands.” He will be leaving the company at the end of the year. Rebecka Coutaz, former studio director at Ubisoft Annecy, will be taking over his position.

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In other news, a trailer for Fornite Chapter 3 has been spotted early on TikTok.

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