DICE LA, the company behind the Mystery Mode in "Battlefield 2042," is now called Ripple Effect Studios. In addition to collaborating with DICE on "Battlefield," Ripple Effect is hiring for its own unannounced project.

This new name is not in the official sense ("even the smallest idea can change the world"), but because Ripple Effect as a studio has a wave-like character, changing shape, splitting up, temporarily disappearing underwater and reappearing. [Its history dates back to 1995, when DreamWorks Interactive was founded. DreamWorks Interactive produced the first "Medal of Honor" before EA later acquired the studio and renamed it EA Los Angeles; as EA Los Angeles, the development company produced Clive Barker's "Undying," "The Lord of the Rings," "The Battle for Middle-earth": The Battle for Middle-earth, Command & Conquer (EA closed Westwood in 2003 and merged what remained into EA LA), and games and expansions for Medal of Honor. In 2010, EA LA was acquired by renamed Danger Close Games and focused solely on relaunching the "Medal of Honor" series. However, it did not work out as well as hoped, and Danger Close was shut down after the release of Medal of Honor: Warfighter.

The history of DreamWorks Interactive/EA Los Angeles/Danger Close could end here, but that would not tell the whole story. The lineage continued in 2013 when the senior management of Danger Close founded DICE LA. Christian Glass, one of the development directors of the Medal of Honor reboot, was one of them. He became the general manager of DICE LA and will continue to lead the studio now that it has become Ripple Effect. Vince Zampella, co-founder of Respawn Entertainment, has also overseen DICE LA since January 2020.

An interesting ripple in itself: Zampella was the development lead on 2002's Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, which was published by EA and Los Angeles, and was not developed by EA. He then co-founded Infinity Ward, started the "Call of Duty" series, had a falling out with Activision in 2010, was acquired by EA in 2017, and co-founded Respawn, which recently put out the "Medal of Honor" VR game. Rounding out the group! (Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond sadly didn't fare much better.)

Both the name change and the unannounced game project were expected developments, as Zampella said they would happen in 2020. But this is a major pivot for the studio: when DICE LA was founded, the studio manager at the time told IGN that the extra floor in Stockholm was conveniently located in Los Angeles. Now, Glass said the studio plans to grow as it develops "its own way of doing things" and establishes its own identity.

While we know nothing about the unannounced game Ripple Effect is working on, we have heard a bit about its secret Battlefield 2042 mode, which EA describes as a "love letter" to fans of the "Battlefield" series, and which it will unveil on July It will be revealed at EA Play Live on July 22. According to one rumor, it's a sandbox mode featuring maps, weapons, and vehicles from Battlefield's history.

Glass and Zampella will appear on EA's "The Future of FPS" live stream this Thursday, July 8, in which EA will "hint" at Ripple Effect's "Battlefield 2042" mode, according to EA. 's Twitch channel at 10 a.m. Pacific Standard Time.

Ripple Effect's website is currently looking for artists, designers, and engineers.