McDonald's is stepping up its game with plans to introduce a bigger, more fulfilling hamburger. The news was recently confirmed by the brand's CFO, Ian Borden. As reported, McDonald's is pushing to have the larger burger tested in different markets later this year to gauge customer reaction with an eye on achieving the optimal size and price before going global.

Details of this enhanced burger are scarce, however, news of its arrival has been anticipated for some time. Executives at McDonald's had hinted at the launch of larger burgers during investor calls in December. The launch aims to attract customers looking for a solid bargain in countries all over the world, including the U.S.

"In some markets, our relative superiority on affordability has declined,” said Chris Kempczinski, CEO of McDonald's. Mcdonald's wants to make sure they keep their competitive edge, and as Borden puts it, “It’s a street fight. Everybody is fighting for fewer consumers. We have to make sure we have that street fighting capability.”

Just as they did with the McCrispy chicken sandwich, the company will trial multiple iterations of the larger burger before it’s introduced to wider audiences. The chicken category currently brings in around $25 billion in annual sales for McDonald's, the same as beef, according to Jo Sempels, who oversees markets where McDonald’s has licensed its brand.

All this comes merely a year after McDonald’s revamped its flagship sandwiches, including its iconic Big Mac, which prompted the company to tout these as its “best burgers ever." The changes introduced softer, fluffier buns, perfectly melted cheese and the addition of white onions to the patties whilst grilling, enhancing the flavor, and an increased Big Mac sauce to make each bite more tangy and sweet.

Reflecting on these changes, Chef Chad Schafer, the Senior Director of Culinary Innovation at McDonald's USA, said: "We found that small changes, like tweaking our process to get hotter, meltier cheese and adjusting our grill settings for a better sear, added up to a big difference in making our burgers more flavorful than ever." All eyes will be on these new larger burgers as they enter the consumer market in coming months.