Update #2: EA briefly posted a video for Battlefield: Hardline, but quickly removed it. We were able to view and summarize extensive single-player and multiplayer details before it was removed.

Update #1: Following this morning's leak, EA has confirmed that Battlefield: Hardline is in development. The title will be revealed during EA's E3 press conference on June 9 at 12 p.m. Pacific.

The game will be out this fall and is being helmed by Dead Space developer Visceral Games. Based on a graphic in a news post from studio vice president and general manager Steve Papoutsis, the game will indeed feature a "cops and robbers" theme. We'll know more in just a couple of weeks.

Original Story:

According to recent reports, EA and DICE have slipped information about the next Battlefield title into a Battlelog update. The data, which was allegedly culled from EA’s own servers, points to the next game in the series and its developer, Visceral.

Fansites and Reddit users have compiled the information found in the code. The most telling is the Battlefield: Hardline logo (seen above) and emblems that point to a police theme as opposed to a military experience.

According GetBlog.com, the two sides of the conflict are SWAT and Thieves, with four classes to choose from (Operator, Mechanic, Enforcer, and Professional). Some of the game modes also appear to be named in the code, including Blood Money and Heist. The code also indicates a cross-generation release on consoles in addition to a PC version.

We’ve reached out to EA for comment on these details. We’ll update should we receive a response.

[Source: Reddit, Koen V., GetBlog.com]

Our Take

With Medal of Honor out of the picture, EA has a gap to fill in its fall lineup (and a cross-generation release hints at this year). The big question is whether EA can rebuild the Battlefield brand after the extensive Battlefield 4 problems, especially while taking the series away from its roots. That might just be what the series needs though, especially after Battlefield 4.