Battlefield Mobile dev claims it was canceled due to 2042’s failure

Bungie co-founder and Battlefield Mobile lead Alex Seropian has claimed that Battlefield 2042’s failure to appeal to the community was a key reason why EA canceled Mobile.

Originally announced in September 2021, Battlefield Mobile was expected to launch in late 2022. However, a delay pushing the shooter back to 2023 would follow.

Battlefield Mobile would never see the light of day though as the project was canceled in February 2023 after EA shut down developer Industrial Toys.

EA’s explanation for Battlefield Mobile being canceled was stated to be a reaction to how the “industry has evolved,” but lead developer Alex Seropian has spoken up offering a different perspective.

Battlefield Mobile was canceled after 2042 was hated by fans

Speaking to Mobilegamer.biz, Alex Seropian detailed why Battlefield Mobile was canceled believing that the community’s negative reception to 2042 was a major factor.

Speaking on Battlefield Mobile’s fate, Seropian said: “In the course of the last year, a few things happened. Battlefield 2042 came out and the community reaction to 2042 was not good. That cascaded a bunch of introspection.”

Seropian went on to acknowledge another reason Mobile didn’t survive: “Apple also changed the IDFA rules, and the long and short of it is that it’s made user acquisition a lot more expensive.”

Finally, another EA Mobile title played a role in Battlefield’s cancelation: “And then Apex Mobile came out and I don’t know if EA has talked about why they canceled it, whether it was economics or whatever, but without me saying, you could fill in the blanks, I guess.”

A combination of Battlefield 2042’s shortcomings, Apple’s IDFA changes, and Apex Mobile’s end all played a part in the eventual cancelation of Battlefield Mobile. Seropian implied that these factors made it difficult for EA to justify further funding it.

Battlefield Mobile was an ambitious project that was built from the ground up in the Unreal Engine. It would have provided players with a mobile interpretation of fan favorite installments like Battlefield 3 and 4.