It's Officially The End Of An Era For Battlefield

1 hour ago 8

Published Jun 5, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT

Ben Brosofsky has been writing for Screen Rant since 2022 and editing since 2024. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor's in Cinema & Media Arts. Writing serves as a much-needed distraction from tackling a backlog of Steam games that will never be surmounted.

Battlefield games tend to be good at retaining their communities, but few online games can last forever. Battlefield publisher EA is no stranger to ending online support for its games, with a long succession of shooters, yearly sports titles, and more shuffling in and out the door.

While classic titles like Battlefield 4 and Battlefield 1 are still going strong years later, a more divisive entry will be partially shutting down this month. Over a decade after its famously buggy release, the urban combat game Battlefield Hardline hasn't retained the same support as either its beloved predecessor or its successor.

Crane destruction in Battlefield Hardline

In March this year, EA announced that Battlefield Hardline would shortly be delisted and shut down on consoles. The delisting already happened on May 22nd, with the game officially disappearing from Xbox One and PlayStation 4 storefronts. On June 22, Battlefield Hardline servers will be shut down, leaving only the single-player campaign playable on consoles.

For the time being, Battlefield Hardline remains available on PC, although it maintains a much smaller active community than Battlefield 4 and Battlefield 1. Its previous availability on Xbox 360 and PS3 came to an end in 2024 at the same time as Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4 reached their end of life on the older systems.

Battlefield Hardline's shutdown doesn't have huge ramifications for the Battlefield series as a whole, which recaptured some fans with 2025's Battlefield 6 after the underwhelming Battlefield 2042. It could still be disappointing for any lingering fans, however, and it closes the book on one of Battlefield's most unique entries.

In 2026, it's hard to imagine Battlefield revisiting the concept of Hardline. Not only have the intervening years introduced increased scrutiny surrounding police militarization, but Battlefield 6 also proved that a back-to-basics reset could be effective for the series. Hardline's mixed reception also weakens the branding of a potential Hardline 2, which would likely be met with a much less effusive reception than, say, a return to Bad Company.

Other EA games slated for shutdowns soon include Plants vs. Zombies HD on the Apple App Store, Madden NFL 23, NHL 22, NHL 23, and the Nintendo Switch version of Apex Legends. If you're a fan of any, squeeze out some final mileage while you can, as they'll all be gone before the end of the summer. Prioritize Battlefield Hardline, though, as it'll be the the first to make its exit.