Battlefield 2 standing fast until Q2 2005

Amid the financial numbers and executive comments of today's Electronic Arts earnings report was word that one of the company's most anticipated titles has been delayed.

While speaking to analysts in a post-report conference call, EA executives revealed that Battlefield 2 will no longer make its anticipated March release date. Instead, the game will now ship during EA's first financial quarter--better known as the April-June quarter to those following the regular calendar--alongside the next Medal of Honor game, Medal of Honor: Dogs of War. Ironically, Battlefield 2's new ship date is the same as the "spring" release it was tagged with when originally announced last April.

While disappointing, the Battlefield 2 postponement was not nearly as severe a delay as that suffered by its console cousin. Last July, EA announced that Battlefield: Modern Combat wouldn't see the light of retail day until November 2005, nearly a year from its planned "holiday 2004" release. That delay was caused by consumer feedback wanting a single-player campaign added to the then-multiplayer online game. No reason was given for Battlefield 2's delay.

Battlefield 2 is a modern sequel to developer Digital Illusions CE's highly popular Battlefield 1942. The multiplayer online shooter allows players to choose from three sides--the United States, China, and a fictional Middle Eastern Coalition--on opposite sides of a near-future war. For a full rundown on the weapons, maps, character classes, and gameplay of Battlefield 2, perform some recon on GameSpot's previous coverage.