No Call of Duty WW2 Shooter Comes Even Close to the Radically Impressive Approach Battlefield V Used for its Maps

While Call of Duty continues to dominate headlines with Black Ops 6‘s record-breaking Game Pass debut, it’s worth remembering a technological achievement that set a new standard for World War II shooters. Back in 2018, DICE took an unprecedented approach to designing Battlefield V‘s environments, putting to use cutting-edge technology that would make even modern gaming studios raise their eyebrows.

The result was a level of authenticity and detail that, even by today’s standards, remains unmatched in the genre. As we look back at this groundbreaking achievement, it’s clear that DICE’s innovative approach to map design went far beyond what anyone expected from a WW2 shooter.

How DICE Changed the Game With Battlefield V

When most studios were still relying on traditional “white box” methods for environment creation, DICE decided to take the road less traveled—and boy, did it make all the difference. Instead of building everything from scratch, they sent teams armed with drones and advanced photogrammetry equipment to capture real-world locations in stunning detail.

As Daniel Berlin, design director for Battlefield V, explained at EA Play:

The artists get to go on these awesome photo scanning trips. They use drones and photo scanning technology to capture the landscape and whatever ruins and assets actually exist there. This is basically what we do to also get the general composition of an area . . . [and] it’s fit on both a large and small scale.

The process was incredibly detailed, involving extensive planning and location scouting to ensure every captured asset would blend seamlessly into the game world. The team specifically traveled to locations like Greece, meticulously documenting everything from iconic ruins to the subtle textures of weathered stone walls.

You could say they left no stone… “unscanned”—literally.

Setting New Standards for Authenticity

While Activision‘s ever-lucrative Call of Duty series has always prided itself on its attention to detail, DICE’s approach to environmental design took things to an entirely different level. Not only did this method result in unparalleled authenticity, but it also proved to be more efficient than traditional asset creation methods.

And when it came to color accuracy, DICE wasn’t messing around. The team brought along professional-grade Macbeth color charts—the same tools used in Hollywood productions—to ensure that every texture, from battle-worn concrete to sun-bleached Mediterranean stone, was captured with scientific precision. There’s a difference between approximating history and preserving it:

While modern shooters like Black Ops 6 continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible with pure technological horsepower, there’s something special about fighting through environments that were captured directly from their real-world counterparts.

When you’re crouching behind a crumbling wall or advancing through a village square, you’re not just looking at an artist’s interpretation – you’re seeing a digitally preserved piece of history, captured with the kind of attention to detail that would make a museum curator jealous.

This commitment to authenticity helped this 2018 Battlefield entry achieve a sense of place that few other World War II games have managed to replicate. From the sun-bleached ruins of Greek villages to Norway’s snow-covered forests, every location feels genuinely lived-in and weathered by time—because in many cases, they actually were.

What do you think about DICE’s innovative approach to map design? Should more developers follow their lead? Share your thoughts in the comments below!