First Battlefield Labs Test Begins This Week - Report

The first Battlefield Labs test, which gives players a chance to try the next Battlefield game, kicks off this week. That's according to a report from Insider Gaming, which said this playtest will let players try out "concepts and mechanics" when it begins on March 7.

This is an extremely limited test, it seems, as only a small selection of players will get to take part and the test itself reportedly runs for only two hours. The test is taking place on PC, the report said.

The Battlefield Labs tests are available by invitation only. Additionally, members are prohibited from recording or sharing footage, or even discussing the test at all. Of course, it's always possible some people choose to disregard these rules--time will tell.

You can sign up for Battlefield Labs for a chance to get chosen for any future tests. While the Battlefield Labs tests are closed, EA and DICE said they will publish public recaps of what it's learned from the testing phases, in addition to the steps being taken to address fan feedback.

The name of the new Battlefield game has not been announced yet, but it will span multiple experiences, including multiplayer from DICE and a single-player element from Motive.

The new Battlefield game returns to modern times after Battlefield 2042 took the fight to the future. Battlefield boss Vince Zampella said previously that Battlefield 2042 didn't resonate with fans in part because some of the game's ideas were too ambitious, like its 128-player matches.

"I think they just strayed a little too far from what Battlefield is. They tried to do a couple things that were maybe ambitious: grow the player count etc. I don't think they spent enough time iterating on what makes that fun," Zampella said. "It's not inherently a bad idea. The way they were set up and the way they executed just didn't allow them to find the best thing possible."