Battlefield's Battle Royale Journey: Firestorm, Hazard Zone & Evolution

Last Updated: October 11, 2025

The gaming landscape has witnessed several strategic moves as the venerable Battlefield franchise engaged with the Battle Royale genre. Through efforts like Firestorm in Battlefield V (launched March 2019) and later Hazard Zone in Battlefield 2042 (launched November 2021), the development teams aimed to fuse the high-stakes intensity of Battle Royale with the distinctive DNA of Battlefield: class-based squadplay, extensive tactical destruction, and signature vehicle combat. These ventures represented not merely an adoption of a popular format, but a deliberate effort to redefine it by injecting core franchise pillars into the established formula. This article delves into the philosophical underpinnings and detailed mechanics of these modes, exploring how their unique approach to map design, dynamic environments, diverse combat roles, and innovative gameplay loops, including uniquely lethal shrinking zones, aimed to carve out a distinct identity within a competitive genre. We will analyze the actual impact on player engagement, market positioning, and the broader evolution of the Battlefield universe, reflecting on this pivotal development.

The Strategic Imperative: Battlefield's Entry into Battle Royale

The decision to develop Battle Royale modes like Firestorm marked a significant moment for the long-standing franchise. This strategic pivot reflected a broader industry trend where established intellectual properties sought to expand their reach and innovate within popular genres. For Battlefield, a series historically lauded for its large-scale, combined-arms warfare and objective-based multiplayer, venturing into Battle Royale presented both a natural evolution and a substantial challenge. The developers articulated a clear philosophy: to infuse the genre with "Battlefield's unique DNA," a proposition that suggested more than a mere adaptation but a deliberate reinterpretation. This approach was rooted in the franchise's core pillars—class-based squadplay, tactical destruction, and robust vehicle combat—elements poised to differentiate its offering from the prevailing Battle Royale landscape.

Firestorm, developed by Criterion Games in collaboration with DICE, was Battlefield V's answer to the Battle Royale craze. The perceived "great opportunity" to merge these distinct gameplay paradigms spoke to a strategic vision aimed at captivating both long-time fans and new audiences, seeking to deliver a high-stakes, adrenaline-pumping experience that was unmistakably Battlefield. Hazard Zone in Battlefield 2042, while more of an extraction shooter, also carried elements of this high-stakes, squad-based survival, further demonstrating the franchise's continued exploration of the genre's periphery.

Reimagining the Arena: Halvøy, Vehicles, and Dynamic Destruction

Central to any Battle Royale experience is its environment, and Firestorm delivered with its "all-new map," Halvøy, meticulously crafted for the mode. This map was designed with a "diverse array of tactical Points of Interest," each possessing "distinct layouts and themes," suggesting a focus on varied engagement scenarios and strategic depth. Unlike maps designed for traditional large-scale conflicts, a Battle Royale map requires a nuanced balance of open spaces, cover, and chokepoints that evolve as the play area shrinks.

The integration of vehicles represented a fundamental departure from many Battle Royale titles. Players in Firestorm encountered "common transport vehicles" for early-match traversal, alongside the capability to "unlock powerful armored vehicles" by capturing objectives or finding keys. This emphasis on combined arms action was a hallmark of the Battlefield series, and its inclusion here was intended to offer "more ways for players to traverse the map" and to "create interesting combined arms action." This dynamic profoundly altered the pacing and strategic considerations, allowing squads to engage in vehicular skirmishes or use them as mobile strongholds, adding a layer of tactical complexity often absent in pedestrian-focused Battle Royale gameplay.

Perhaps the most iconic Battlefield element integrated was "Tactical Destruction." In Firestorm, "destruction was everywhere in this mode," ranging from "creating pathways through walls to toppling buildings." This mechanic was not merely cosmetic; it was a strategic tool that allowed players to dynamically alter the battlefield, opening new lines of sight, creating cover, or denying enemy positions. The developers anticipated "seeing players' ingenuity with destruction and how they use it to defeat their opponents," highlighting its intended role as a core gameplay driver, fostering emergent strategies and ensuring no two matches played out identically.

The Core of Combat: Squadplay and Player Progression in Firestorm

The foundation of Firestorm's Battle Royale experience was built upon 64 players organized into 16 four-player squads, vying to be the last one standing. This strong emphasis on "Squadplay" was reinforced by the encouragement of communication through pings and VOIP, aiming to "boost the experience and enhance their tactical options." This communal approach distinguished it from modes that might prioritize individual survival, instead fostering a cooperative dynamic where team cohesion was paramount.

Firestorm leveraged Battlefield V's existing class system (Assault, Medic, Support, Recon) rather than introducing a new in-match "Classes, Training, and Traits" progression as some concepts might have envisioned. Squads had to strategically "plan and choose which of the classes they would bring to the battle" from the main game, a decision that could not be altered once the match began. This pre-game meta-strategy dictated a squad's inherent strengths and weaknesses, forcing adaptation to "unique tactical scenarios." Players began with default gadgets tied to their chosen class. While there wasn't an explicit in-match "Training" system for earning XP to unlock traits, players did find equipment and upgrades throughout the match.

Furthermore, the inclusion of "Second chances" through "Support class revives" and a limited "Mobile Redeploy" system (where a squadmate could be brought back if a specific objective was captured) introduced a layer of forgiveness and sustained engagement that was crucial in a high-stakes environment, allowing squads to recover from setbacks and remain competitive longer.

High Stakes and High Rewards: The Ring of Fire, Loot, and Missions

Firestorm's ambition to introduce "the most dangerous ring in gaming" manifested as the Ring of Fire. This "deadliest ring" instantly killed players upon contact, with "urgent warnings as the fire approached." This unforgiving mechanic, which explicitly denied any possibility of using it for cover or escaping its grasp, aimed to profoundly influence the "pace of the game" and "create spontaneous showdowns." By eliminating the possibility of passive play near the zone's edge, it funneled players into more intense engagements, ensuring a consistently shrinking, high-pressure combat arena.

The "Arms Race" described the dynamic loot and objective system. Players would "explore the map, complete missions, and battle for loot to define their arsenal." Firestorm featured "5 tiers of weapons," along with a comprehensive array of attachments, throwables, gadgets, Strike Packages (like Air Strikes and artillery barrages), armor, upgrade kits, and even custom drops of favorited weapons, promising a rich and varied loot experience. These items could be found through general and class-specific crates, armored trucks, mission rewards (e.g., strongboxes), or by looting defeated enemies, creating multiple avenues for power progression.

Missions were designed as squad-based objectives that "offered extra rewards to gain a competitive edge." These tasks, ranging from unlocking high-value caches to planting explosives, presented tactical dilemmas where squads had to weigh "if the risk was worth the potential reward." The airdropped nature of rewards post-mission completion added another layer of tension, as other squads might attempt to intercept them. These missions were "crafted to challenge your squad’s teamwork and reward precise execution under pressure," with the potential to "shift the momentum of battle." This integration of dynamic objectives ensured that victory was not solely predicated on combat prowess but also on strategic decision-making and efficient teamwork, enriching the overall flow of play.

The Crucible of Feedback: Firestorm's Reception and Lessons Learned

Despite its ambitious design and adherence to Battlefield's core tenets, Firestorm's journey was met with mixed reception and significant challenges. Upon its launch in March 2019, players appreciated the destruction, vehicle combat, and the unique Ring of Fire. However, several factors hindered its long-term success. As a premium mode tied to Battlefield V, it lacked the free-to-play model that propelled many successful Battle Royale titles to prominence. Its pacing was often criticized as slower than competitors, and the loot system, while deep, could sometimes feel clunky.

DICE and Criterion did gather feedback and made some adjustments post-launch, but the mode never received the consistent, substantial updates needed to compete in the rapidly evolving Battle Royale landscape. Ultimately, support for Firestorm was discontinued, and its player base dwindled.

Later, Battlefield 2042 introduced Hazard Zone in November 2021, a squad-based extraction shooter that shared some DNA with Battle Royale but focused on securing data drives and exfiltrating. While not a pure Battle Royale, it represented another attempt by the franchise to innovate within a high-stakes, squad-focused format. Hazard Zone also struggled to find a dedicated audience and eventually saw its development scaled back, with its features integrated into other modes. The "Battlefield Labs" initiative in Battlefield 2042, while not directly responsible for a new BR mode as described in earlier concepts, did serve as a platform for testing various experimental modes and features with the community, demonstrating a commitment to iterative development and player feedback in other areas of the game.

Broader Implications: Shaping the Franchise's Trajectory in a Competitive Genre

Battlefield's ventures into the Battle Royale genre, primarily through Firestorm and Hazard Zone, carried significant implications for both the franchise and the broader gaming market. For Battlefield, a successful Battle Royale mode could have attracted a new demographic of players, revitalizing the franchise's appeal and expanding its player base beyond its traditional audience. By offering a fresh take on a popular genre, it could have solidified Battlefield's position as an innovator, demonstrating its adaptability and willingness to evolve with market trends while staying true to its core identity.

However, the actual impact was more nuanced. While ambitious, Firestorm and Hazard Zone did not achieve the desired breakout success or long-term player engagement. These attempts highlighted the challenges of entering a saturated genre dominated by free-to-play titans. The unique blend of tactical destruction, vehicle combat, and squadplay was compelling, but it wasn't enough to overcome the lack of a free-to-play model, inconsistent updates, and stiff competition.

Ultimately, these ventures represented pivotal moments for the Battlefield franchise. They were ambitious attempts to leverage decades of design expertise in large-scale combat and apply it to contemporary genres. The outcomes of these initiatives, heavily influenced by player reception and market dynamics, led the franchise to pivot back to focusing on its core strengths: large-scale, objective-based multiplayer with combined arms warfare. While the vision for a Battlefield Battle Royale was clear, execution and sustained support proved difficult, leading to valuable lessons that continue to shape the series' evolution in the competitive gaming landscape.