'Battlefield 1' release date news: Game arrives on Oct. 21; World War I setting was nearly dumped

Battlefield 1 Collector's EditionEA DICE

EA and developer DICE have officially unveiled their new FPS game, "Battlefield 1," which is going to be one of the first major games in recent years that is set in World War I. According to EA during one of their Investor Day briefings, the whole concept of an FPS set during World War I was nearly rejected when it was first pitched.

Patrick Soderlund, the vice president of EA Studios, explained that the setting was not the most obvious choice given what the competitors were getting into recently. Activision in particular has just revealed that their latest entry in the "Call of Duty" franchise will be set in space and take on a very heavy sci-fi aesthetic. 

This trend has been going on for several years following the launch of "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare." The game was released back when most FPS games were set in World War II. Since that period, most FPS games have been set in the modern world or in a futuristic setting.

"When the team presented to me the idea of World War 1 I absolutely rejected it. I said 'World War 1 is a trench war, it can't be fun to play,'" he stated. "The team continued and persisted in the fact that this can be fun, and showed up with a very short demo that convinced me at least that this was the right path."

Soderlund also gave a little precaution, explaining that while many gamers have shown positive responses to the trailer he reiterated that they have only given fans one trailer and that their main goal now is to live up to the promise that the trailer presented. The game still needs to feel like a fun game that is worthy of the "Battlefield" moniker.

"Battlefield 1" will officially be released for the PC, PS4 and Xbox One on Oct. 21.