Every Battlefield game, ranked
All 9 Battlefield games we hold, spanning 2002 to 2021: 6 ranked by the GamingPickz Score and plotted below, the rest listed in release order so nothing in the series is missing. Together they carry 960,379 Steam reviews.
Where to start
- For the best-reviewed: Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (GamingPickz Score 7.8), the highest-rated entry we can score.
- For canon order: begin with Battlefield 1942 (2002) and follow the release-order timeline below.
- For the money: Battlefield 1 gives the most score per dollar right now.
The Battlefield games on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueThe same 6 games, plotted rather than listed. The two axes below are the ones the ranking is built from, so a game sitting high and right is a game the formula placed near the top. Change either axis to see the field a different way. Where we hold a publisher wordmark, the game is drawn as its mark rather than a dot.
6 games have both
Axes are fitted to these 6 games rather than the full 0 to 100 scale, because a filtered list shares a narrow band and would otherwise sit in one corner. End values are marked. A point on the left edge is the lowest of thesegames, not a low score.
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- Mobile
- Multi-platform
- PC
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Every game by critic score
The grid above is built from Steam data, so it can only place the Battlefield games that were on Steam. This one uses the Metacritic critic aggregate, which the older console-only entries have too, so the whole series lands on a single chart: critic score against release year.
On Steam (also has a GamingPickz Score) Console-only (Metacritic only)
6 best Battlefield games, ranked
Ordered by GamingPickz Score. Every figure links back to the source that produced it.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 at a glance Released 2010 Studio DICE Player sentiment 85% positive of 37,378 Critics 87/100 Price Not listed Steam Deck playable Install size Not stated Accessibility 0 declared features Raw 85% shrinks to 85.0 on 37,378 reviews, then blends with the 87 critic aggregate, giving 7.8.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- 2
Battlefield 1
Best for: The safest bet on this list, by weight of evidence
7.7GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceBattlefield 1 at a glance Released 2016 Studio DICE Player sentiment 86% positive of 226,777 Critics No aggregate Price $39.99 Steam Deck unsupported Install size 50 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 86% shrinks to 86.0 on 226,777 reviews, giving 7.7. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- Valve rates it Unsupported on the Steam Deck.
Battlefield 4 at a glance Released 2013 Studio DICE Player sentiment 85% positive of 81,609 Critics No aggregate Price $39.99 Steam Deck playable Install size 30 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 85% shrinks to 85.0 on 81,609 reviews, giving 7.5. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
Battlefield 3 at a glance Released 2011 Studio DICE Player sentiment 72% positive of 19,290 Critics 89/100 Price $39.99 Steam Deck unsupported Install size 20 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 72% shrinks to 72.2 on 19,290 reviews, then blends with the 89 critic aggregate, giving 7.1.
Worth checking first- Critics rate it well above players, 89 against 72. Worth reading why before buying.
- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- Valve rates it Unsupported on the Steam Deck.
- 5
Battlefield V
Best for: The safest bet on this list, by weight of evidence
6.6GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceBattlefield V at a glance Released 2018 Studio DICE Player sentiment 71% positive of 269,697 Critics No aggregate Price $49.99 Steam Deck unsupported Install size 50 GB Accessibility 1 declared feature Raw 71% shrinks to 71.0 on 269,697 reviews, giving 6.6. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
Worth checking first- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- Valve rates it Unsupported on the Steam Deck.
- 6
Battlefield 2042
Best for: The safest bet on this list, by weight of evidence
5.0GamingPickz Scoremedium confidenceBattlefield 2042 at a glance Released 2021 Studio DICE Player sentiment 47% positive of 325,628 Critics No aggregate Price $59.99 Steam Deck unsupported Install size 100 GB Accessibility 5 declared features Raw 47% shrinks to 47.0 on 325,628 reviews, giving 5.0. No critics data, so that weight was redistributed across the rest rather than counted as zero.
Worth checking first- Carries in-game purchases. Check what they cost before committing.
- Flagged for mature content on its store page.
- Valve rates it Unsupported on the Steam Deck.
Only the 6 Battlefield games with Steam review data can be scored and ranked. The complete series, scored or not, is charted in order below.
Best and worst entry
The best-received Battlefield game we can score is Battlefield: Bad Company 2 at 7.8. The lowest is Battlefield 2042 at 5.0, a 2.8-point spread across the series. The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
How the series scored over time
GamingPickz Score against release year, 2010 to 2021. The later entries score lower than the earlier ones: the series has been trending down.
Cheapest way in, and best value
- Cheapest right now: Battlefield 3 at $39.99. Prices are read live from Steam and move.
- Best value: Battlefield 1, the most GamingPickz Score per dollar in the series at its current price.
On a Steam Deck
Valve's own Deck compatibility rating for the Battlefield entries on Steam:
- Playable: Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Battlefield 4
- Unsupported: Battlefield 3, Battlefield 1, Battlefield V, Battlefield 2042
Platforms across the series
Where the 9 Battlefield games have landed, counting every entry we hold:
| Platform family | Entries |
|---|---|
| PC | 8 of 9 |
| PlayStation | 6 of 9 |
| Xbox | 6 of 9 |
| Mobile | 1 of 9 |
The Battlefield series, game by game
Every Battlefield game we hold, in release order. Each description is the game's own, from Steam where it has a listing and Wikipedia for the older entries, never ours.
- 2002
Battlefield 1942
Metacritic 89Battlefield 1942 is a 2002 first-person shooter game developed by Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It is the first installment in the Battlefield series. The game can be played in single-player mode against the video game AI or in multiplayer mode against players… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception The game received "generally favorable reviews", according to the review aggregation website Metacritic . At 6th annual Interactive Achievement Awards, Battlefield 1942 received awards for Online Gameplay, Innovation in PC Gaming, PC Game of the Year, and Game of the Year. In March 2010 Battlefield 1942 was awarded with "Swedish game of the decade" award at the computer game gala hosted by Swedish Games Industry. (Wikipedia)
- 2005
Battlefield 2: Modern Combat
Metacritic 80Battlefield 2: Modern Combat is a 2005 first-person shooter game developed by DICE and published by Electronic Arts. It is the fourth installment in the Battlefield series. Modern Combat is the first Battlefield game for video game consoles and the first to offer a full single-player campaign. Despite its name, the… (Wikipedia)
Plot
The single-player campaign game revolves around a fictional war between NATO and China that takes place in Kazakhstan . The media on both sides air propaganda that accuses the other of war crimes while the player fights for each nation back and forth. When the player eventually chooses a side to lead to victory, it is revealed that a terrorist organization called Burning Flag is responsible for misleading both NATO and China into starting the war. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Battlefield 2: Modern Combat received "generally favorable reviews" on all platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic . In Japan, where the PlayStation 2 version was ported for release on January 26, 2006, followed by the Xbox 360 version on March 30, 2006, Famitsu gave the former console version a score of three eights and one seven for a total of 31 out of 40, while Famitsu X360 gave the latter console version a score of… (Wikipedia)
- 2006
Battlefield 2142
Metacritic 80Battlefield 2142 is a 2006 first-person shooter game developed by DICE and published by Electronic Arts. It is the fifth installment in the Battlefield series. Battlefield 2142 is set in 2142 and depicts a cold war between two military superpowers – the European Union (EU) and Pan Asian Coalition (PAC) – over the… (Wikipedia)
Plot
In the year 2106, a new ice age began. As the ice expanded, millions of people all over the world were displaced, particularly in Russia and Japan . Combined with their increasing inability to find sufficient natural resources, the Pan Asian Coalition grows desperate. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Battlefield 2142 Battlefield 2142 received a "Silver" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), indicating sales of at least 100,000 copies in the United Kingdom. Battlefield 2142 generally received positive reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic . Hyper ' s Kosta Andreadis commended the game for its "Titan Mode, refined reward and promotion system [and] well designed maps". (Wikipedia)
- 2010
Battlefield: Bad Company 2™ brings the award-winning Battlefield gameplay to the forefront of PC gaming with best-in-class vehicular combat and unexpected "Battlefield moments." New vehicles like the ATV and a transport helicopter allow for all-new multiplayer tactics on the Battlefield. With the Frostbite-enabled Destruction 2. (Steam)
Plot
Setting Bad Company 2 takes place within the same setting of Bad Company , involving a fictional conflict between the United States and Russian Federation known as the "Second Russo-American War". In the game's story, the conflict has grown with the United States bracing for an invasion, as Russia invades Europe and Alaska , while strengthing and supporting China , and the Latin American Militia, a rebel group operating in South America . The game's main… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Battlefield: Bad Company 2 received mostly positive reviews from game critics. Aggregating review website Metacritic have the PlayStation 3 version at 88/100, the Xbox 360 version at 88/100, and the PC version at 87/100. The iOS version received generally poorer reviews and holds a score of 64/100. (Wikipedia)
- 2011
Enjoy total freedom to fight the way you want. Explore 29 massive multiplayer maps and use loads of vehicles, weapons, and gadgets to help you turn up the heat. Every second of battle gets you closer to unlocking tons of extras and moving up in the Ranks. So get in the action. (Steam)
Plot
In March 2014, U. S. Marine Sergeant Henry Blackburn ( Gideon Emery ) of the 1st Recon Marines is deployed to Sulaymaniyah , Iraqi Kurdistan with his fellow squadmates Private First Class Jack Chaffin ( Tony Denman ), Lance Corporals David Montes (Ronan Summers) and Christian Matkovic (William Meredith), Staff Sergeant Steve Campo ( Eric Loren ), and Captain Quinton Cole ( David Harewood ), under the squad callsign Misfit 1-3. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Critical reception Reception Battlefield 3 received mostly positive reviews. IGN gave it a score of 9. 0 out of 10. (Wikipedia)
- 2013
Embrace unrivaled destruction in Battlefield 4™. Revel in the glorious chaos of all-out war packed with rewarding, tactical challenges in an interactive environment. (Steam)
Plot
Setting and characters Battlefield 4 s single-player Campaign takes place during the fictional "War of 2020", six years after the events of its predecessor . Tensions between Russia and the United States have been running at a record high, due to a conflict between the two countries that has been running for the last six years. On top of this, Admiral Chang, the main antagonist , plans with Russian support to overthrow China's current government and if… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Critical reception Reception Battlefield 4 received positive reviews from critics. Chris Watters of GameSpot gave praise to Obliteration Mode and the multiplayer elements but was otherwise unimpressed with the campaign. IGN s Mitch Dyer stated that " Battlefield 4 is a greatest hits album of DICE's multiplayer legacy" for same versions. (Wikipedia)
- 2016
Battlefield™ 1 takes you back to The Great War, WW1, where new technology and worldwide conflict changed the face of warfare forever. (Steam)
Plot
Storm of Steel The prologue, set in 1918, sees players take control of different members of the Harlem Hellfighters as they defend their positions against a German offensive in France during the Second Battle of the Marne . The player initially starts out near the front line and must survive as long as possible against waves of German soldiers. If the player survives the attack, an artillery barrage will rain down on them and then the game's perspective… (Wikipedia)
Characters
During the single-player campaigns, the player controls six different characters from a first-person perspective over six different chapters (known as War Stories). Unlike previous campaigns in the series, Battlefield 1 s single-player story mode is composed of six separate "War Stories", each shown through the eyes of separate Allied soldiers from different nationalities: "Storm of Steel" – the prologue of the game, set in the Western Front through the… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Edit on Wikidata Pre-release The game received positive response from the community after its official announcement. As of May 9, 2016, the Battlefield 1 reveal trailer had become the most liked trailer on YouTube , with over 2 million likes. Electronic Arts expected the game to sell at least 14 million units in its first year of release. (Wikipedia)
- 2018
This is the ultimate Battlefield V experience. Enter mankind’s greatest conflict with the complete arsenal of weapons, vehicles, and gadgets plus the best customization content of Year 1 and 2. (Steam)
Plot
As in Battlefield 1 , the single-player campaign is divided into an introduction followed by episodic War Stories, three of which were available at launch: "Nordlys" takes place from the point-of-view of a Norwegian resistance fighter taking part in the sabotage of the German nuclear program , "Tirailleur" tells the story of a Senegalese Tirailleur during Operation Dragoon , and "Under No Flag" puts the player in the shoes of Billy Bridger, a convicted… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Pre-release The announcement trailer generated a significantly negative reception, as fans of the series criticized the game for a lack of historical accuracy , authenticity and immersiveness. Complaints were made about the use of certain weapons, prosthetics , and body art as being very uncommon in that time period. Fans were also frustrated with the portrayal of women in the game, specifically with the British woman featured prominently in the trailer… (Wikipedia)
- 2021
Battlefield™ 2042 is a first-person shooter that marks the return to the iconic all-out warfare of the franchise. (Steam)
Plot
Setting and characters Battlefield 2042 takes place 22 years after the events of Battlefield 4 . Unlike previous installments, it does not have a single-player campaign. Instead, the story is told through multiplayer gameplay. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Critical response Battlefield 2042 received "mixed or average reviews" on all platforms, according to the review aggregator website Metacritic , making it the lowest-rated installment in the Battlefield series. Fellow review aggregator OpenCritic assessed that the game received weak approval, being recommended by 33% of critics. Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game five out of five stars, writing: " Battlefield 2042 brings the sandbox back… (Wikipedia)
Battlefield, head to head
Two entries side by side on score, price, specs and reception:
Battlefield vs other series
How Battlefield stacks up against other series in the same genre, as a whole:
Also: Battlefield vs Serious Sam, Battlefield vs Borderlands, Battlefield vs Crysis, Battlefield vs Dead Island, Battlefield vs Dishonored, Battlefield vs Max Payne, Battlefield vs Red Faction, Battlefield vs Sniper Elite, Battlefield vs Sniper Ghost Warrior, Battlefield vs Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, Battlefield vs America's Army, Battlefield vs Bright Memory, Battlefield vs Chivalry, Battlefield vs Homefront, Battlefield vs Metal Gear, Battlefield vs NARUTO SHIPPUDEN, Battlefield vs One Piece, Battlefield vs POSTAL, Battlefield vs RAGE, Battlefield vs Red Dead Redemption, Battlefield vs Sea of Thieves, Battlefield vs Shadow Warrior, Battlefield vs Slime Rancher, Battlefield vs Sniper, Battlefield vs Squad, Battlefield vs Street Fighter, Battlefield vs Thief, Battlefield vs Z1 Battle Royale, Battlefield vs Zombie Army
Common questions
How many Battlefield games are there?
We hold 9 Battlefield games in the catalogue, released between 2002 and 2021. 6 of them carry enough Steam data to rank; the rest are listed in release order below, including console-only entries with no Steam listing.
Which Battlefield game is best?
By the GamingPickz Score, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 rates highest at 7.8. That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, computed the same way for every game, not our opinion. The full ranking is above.
What order should I play the Battlefield games in?
Release order is listed below, from 2002 to 2021. For most series that is also story order, but we list dates rather than telling you a canon; the timeline is read from Wikidata.
More franchises
Browse every game franchise ranked the same way, or head to the full grid.