The series mainly focuses on online multiplayer, with gameplay taking place across large maps, and emphasizes teamwork and combined arms warfare.

Since Battlefield 2, the series centrally recorded online stats for each player, allowing users to receive rank promotions and weapon unlocks based on their performance as well as awards such as medals, ribbons, and pins.

2008's Battlefield: Bad Company, in addition to expanding to the series to consoles, introduced full single-player campaigns with more fleshed-out storylines.

[5] Battlefield 1942 was released on September 10, 2002, using the Refractor game engine, and set in World War II.

The 2005 release Battlefield 2 takes place in the modern day, depicting a war between the United States and China and the fictional Middle Eastern Coalition (MEC).

A similar game called Battlefield 2: Modern Combat was released for consoles, with a larger single player mode but limited online play.

While most of it is graphically similar to Battlefield 2, it introduced a variety of equipment to unlock and battles between two giant "Titan" airships.

The Northern Strike expansion pack was later released, adding new maps, vehicles, and a new game mode.

It features a larger multiplayer than its predecessor Bad Company, with updated graphics and realistic effects (e.g. bullet-drop).

On July 17, 2012, it was announced that players who pre-order Medal of Honor: Warfighter would receive access to a Battlefield 4 beta.

Information about the next entry in the series, Battlefield Hardline, was leaked on May 27, 2014, and officially unveiled on June 9, 2014, during E3.

[40][41][42] This was followed up by Dan Vaderlind, EA DICE Development Director, announcing that since Star Wars Battlefront has been released, he will now be focused on the upcoming Battlefield title.

[44][45] In a May 2018 live reveal event it was confirmed that it the next installment would be a World War II game after several leaks suggested it would be set during this period, with the title revealed as Battlefield V.[46] Battlefield V was released later that year on November 20, 2018 while also offering certain players early access to the game as early as November 9, 2018.

Vince Zampella of Respawn Entertainment and Ripple Effect Studios (the latter of which had created 2042's Portal Mode) will be heading the Battlefield franchise.