Battlefield Veteran Lars Gustavsson, AKA Mr. Battlefield, Is Leaving EA

As part of EA’s wider Battlefield announcements today, the company confirmed that Battlefield veteran Lars Gustavsson is leaving DICE and EA altogether for “something new.”

Gustavsson, who is also known as Mr. Battlefield, joined DICE in 2000 and has been with the company ever since. He was there when DICE shipped the first Battlefield in 2002, when EA acquired DICE in 2006, and throughout DICE’s entire journey that also spanned Mirror’s Edge and Star Wars Battlefront, among others.

“We would like to thank him for his invaluable experience, expertise, and friendship for all these years,” Battlefield boss Byron Beede said.

As for Gustavsson, he thanked fans for their support over the years and said he is excited to “pass the baton” onto the next generation of Battlefield developers.

“I’ve dedicated a substantial portion of my life to Battlefield and I’m very proud to have helped shape this franchise into what it is today. However, I think it’s time for something new. Thank you for all your support over the years, especially to all the extremely talented co-workers I’ve had the pleasure to work with and, above all, the love and support from the community,” he said. “I’m sure I speak for both of us when I say we’re excited to pass the baton to the next generation of Battlefield creators at DICE, Ripple Effect, Industrial Toys, and Ridgeline Games, and to see how the series evolves in their capable hands–you are ready to do this! Farewell and don’t forget to play the objective!”

Gustavsson is just the latest higher-up connected to Battlefield to leave, following the departure of then-DICE GM Oskar Gabrielson last year.

Looking ahead, EA is trying to create a Battlefield “connected universe,” and this will include a new experience from Ripple Effect and a narrative campaign from Halo designer Marcus Lehto’s new EA studio, Ridgline. For more, check out GameSpot’s rundown of all the big Battlefield announcements.

Following Battlefield 2042’s difficult–yet commercially successful–launch in 2021, EA announced plans to go “all-in” on Battlefield to help fans understand how important the series continues to be. Respawn Entertainment boss Vince Zampella is now overseeing the direction of the series alongside Beede.