Certain factors kept Electronic Arts from greenlighting a sequel to 2015's Battlefield Hardline, a developer for the game has revealed. Battlefield Hardline was the last title to be released by the now-defunct Visceral Games, the studio behind Dead Space.
Unlike other entries in the popular shooter franchise that primarily focused on military conflicts, Battlefield Hardline was based on the cops and robbers dynamic. The spin-off, which also utilized Battlefield 4's impressive Levolution system, was praised by critics and gamers alike for introducing a fresh multiplayer experience, among other things. However, Battlefield Hardline never received a follow-up, and a person who worked on the project says they know why.
From FIFA to Battlefield, a smorgasbord of EA franchises are seeing some of their entries have their online functionality shut down.
In a recently published interview with VideoGamer, Battlefield Hardline's lead multiplayer designer Thaddeus Sasser said that the political climate present at the time of the title's release and lower than expected sales figures made EA hesitant to pursue a sequel. Sasser specifically mentioned the fatal police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown that happened in Ferguson, Missouri, on August 9, 2014. "It was just... too much. There...
