The Battlefield video game series was primarily developed by the Swedish company EA DICE (Digital Illusions CE) and published by the American company Electronic Arts. The series began with Battlefield 1942, released in 2002, which was heavily influenced by an earlier game called Codename Eagle developed by the Swedish studio Refraction Games. DICE acquired Refraction Games in 2000, which allowed them to build on the technology and concepts of Codename Eagle to create Battlefield 1942. Over time, the Battlefield franchise has expanded with contributions from several studios under Battlefield Studios, including DICE, Criterion Games, Ripple Effect, and Motive, making it a collaborative effort in recent years.