Battlefield Franchise Used To Make $1 Billion In Annual Revenue Before BF 2042

Expert Verified By

Used To Be EA's Most Profitable IP!

Story Highlight
  • A former EA executive’s LinkedIn profile reveals the Battlefield series was earning over $1 billion in gross annual revenue before BF 2042.
  • This success was most prominent during the releases of Battlefield 3, 4, 1, and 5.
  • The franchise’s yearly earnings have since dropped to an estimated $420 million.

A LinkedIn post by Lincoln Hershberger, who was Vice President of product marketing at EA, revealed how the Battlefield series became EA’s biggest money-maker. He mentioned that during his time, Battlefield’s yearly earnings jumped from less than $50 million to over $1 billion, making it the company’s highest-grossing franchise.

That number is impressive. EA usually shares financial results for all its games together, but Hershberger’s profile shows how much Battlefield stood out. This is proof of how successful the series was during its peak.

Why it matters: Only a few video game series reach $1 billion yearly, and Battlefield did.

Battlefield 1 Billion Annual Revenue
The Battlefield franchise was pulling in over a billion dollars in gross annual revenue, until it didn’t. Source | Lincoln Hershberger

On his LinkedIn profile, Hershberger highlights his success with the Battlefield series: “Scaled the Battlefield franchise from less than $50M to over $1B in annual gross revenue, making it EA’s most profitable intellectual property.”

This shows that during its peak, around the time of Battlefield 3, 4, 1, and 5, the franchise was EA’s money-printing machine.

However, things changed with Battlefield 2042. When it launched in November 2021, the game was riddled with a plethora of bugs and performance issues.

EA later acknowledged that working remotely during COVID and some questionable design decisions affected its release. Changes like removing single‑player campaigns and focusing on specialist abilities didn’t land with long-time fans.

Current estimates suggest the franchise now makes around $420 million per year—a big drop from its $1 billion heyday.

Battlefield
EA will be hoping Battlefield 6 will bring back the franchise to its glory days.

EA isn’t giving up, however. A new modern‑day Battlefield is in development. The company’s financial outlook relies on live-service gains from top brands like FC, Apex Legends, and The Sims.

The new “Battlefield Labs” initiative shows EA is now involving players early in development before release. Battlefield 6 gameplay showcases the most impressive destruction in the franchise’s history. Moreover, developers reassure the game won’t feature any kind of skill-based matchmaking.

This focus on community feedback could help fix past issues and potentially push the franchise’s earnings back toward, or even past, its $1 billion success. Are you looking forward to playing Battlefield 6? Comment below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

Fallout 3 and New Vegas Remasters Officially Confirmed By Bethesda

Bethesda has confirmed that Fallout 3 and New Vegas Remasters are officially in the works, but they don't currently have a release window.

Fallout 5 Officially Confirmed To Be In Pre-Production

Bethesda has officially come forward and announced ongoing work on multiple brand new titles, including Fallout 5.

A Destiny-Like Halo MMO Could Be In Development, Teases Studio Head Amid Rumors

It appears that a Destiny-like Halo MMO is being explored by developers, as implied by the studio head amid rumors from multiple insiders.

Modern 4 Criticized For Looking Just Like MW2 And MW3

Following the latest Modern Warfare 4 gameplay debut, fans are calling the game out for looking too much like its predecessors.

Crimson Desert’s Blackspace Engine Beats Sony’s Decima To Win Best Technical Innovation Award

Crimson Desert has been awarded the Best Tech Innovation award for its proprietary Blackspace Engine for groundbreaking visuals and tech.