After Fortnite's Success, EA Says It Might Make A Free-To-Play Battle Royale Game

The battle royale phenomenon has been one of biggest stories of the past year--and it's not stopping soon. EA's next big shooter, Battlefield V, will have a battle royale mode, while Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will have one, too. EA has now commented further on the matter, teasing that it could release a standalone free-to-play game of its own.

During an investor call today, EA CFO Blake Jorgensen was asked directly if Battlefield V's battle royale mode could see a separate, standalone release as a free-to-play game. It probably won't, Jorgensen said, according to GI.biz. However, he said EA could make its own free-to-play, standalone battle royale game further down the track.

"We're interested in experimenting with a free-to-play standalone game that might be in a shooter genre or another genre," he said when asked specifically about the possibility of EA making a standalone free-to-play battle royale game like Fortnite. "But I don't think that's how we're looking at the Battlefield stuff right now."

You will see more of what Jorgensen is talking about in the coming "months and years," he teased.

Given the immense popularity of Fortnite, PUBG, and other battle royale games, it makes sense that EA would want a piece of the pie. Battlefield V having a battle royale mode is a way for the publisher to get in on the action right away, but it would be potentially more exciting to see the studio make a completely new game in the space.

Previously, EA CEO Andrew Wilson talked about how battle royale is "clearly a mode of play that the global FPS population is interested in." As such, he said at the time--before Battlefield V's battle royale mode was announced--that EA would be looking at the space.

EA has yet to show any footage of Battlefield V's battle royale mode. The franchise is known for its large-scale maps, vehicles, and destructibility, which could make Battlefield great for the battle royale genre, though how it all works out remains to be seen.

Battlefield V launches in October for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. For lots more on the World War II shooter, check out GameSpot's roundup of everything we know about it.