Where to Start · Battlefield
Where to Start with Battlefield
Battlefield is EA DICE's large-scale multiplayer military shooter franchise running since 2002 — the series defined by massive maps, vehicle warfare, squad-based objectives, and the Battlefield Moment: a tank shell destroying a wall just as infantry charge through, a jet screaming past a crumbling skyscraper, a squad parachuting onto an objective. The series has covered World War II, modern warfare, the near future, and World War I across its history.
Unlike Call of Duty, Battlefield's identity is built around multiplayer scale rather than single-player campaigns — most entries have forgettable campaigns and extraordinary multiplayer.
If you only play one Battlefield game
Play Battlefield 1 (2016). It is the most visually spectacular and atmospherically distinctive entry — World War I's western front, the Arabian Peninsula, the Alps, and the Italian campaign rendered with extraordinary fidelity. The War Stories single-player anthology is the best campaign in the franchise. The multiplayer Operations mode — multi-map battles where one team attacks and the other defends across sequential maps — is Battlefield at its most cinematic. Available on PS4/Xbox/PC.
Battlefield 3 and 4 — the modern warfare peak
Battlefield 3 (2011) is the entry that established Battlefield as a genuine rival to Call of Duty — Frostbite engine destruction, the Paris Metro level, and a multiplayer that rewarded positioning and teamwork over individual skill. Battlefield 4 (2013) refined everything — Commander Mode, Naval Strike, and the most complete suite of maps and modes the franchise had produced. BF4's multiplayer servers are still active in 2026, over a decade after launch. Both are on PS4/Xbox/PC via backward compatibility.
Bad Company — the beloved spinoffs
Battlefield: Bad Company (2008) and Bad Company 2 (2010) are the single-player focused entries — a squad of misfits, destructible environments (Frostbite's debut), and writing that gave the franchise its only genuinely funny campaign. Bad Company 2's multiplayer is still considered one of the best the series produced. Both require PS3/Xbox 360 physical copies — not on modern digital storefronts.
Battlefield V and 2042
Battlefield V (2018) covers World War II and launched with a controversial marketing campaign that overshadowed a genuinely good game. The Firestorm battle royale mode was shut down but the core multiplayer remains active. Battlefield 2042 (2021) had the most troubled launch in franchise history — no scoreboard, Specialists replacing classes, Portal mode as its saving grace. Portal mode lets you play maps and modes from BF1942, Bad Company 2, and BF3 with modern visuals — worth loading up just for Portal.
What platforms you need
Battlefield 1 — PS4/Xbox/PC. Battlefield V — PS4/Xbox/PC. Battlefield 4 — PS4/Xbox/PC. Battlefield 2042 — PS4/PS5/Xbox/PC (Game Pass). Bad Company 1 and 2 — PS3/Xbox 360 physical.
The squad formula
Battlefield rewards squad play over lone wolf action. Spawning on squadmates, sharing ammunition, providing cover, and taking objectives as a group multiplies your effectiveness and score. The Medic, Support, Assault, and Engineer/Recon class structure (varying by entry) creates interdependence. Playing without a squad is possible but misses what makes Battlefield distinct from other shooters.
Recommended order
Battlefield 1 for the best single-player and most distinctive setting. Battlefield 4 for the most refined modern warfare multiplayer. Battlefield 3 for the franchise at its competitive peak. Bad Company 2 for the best writing. BF2042 for Portal mode access to classic entries.