Battlefield 2042: Fails to Meet Fan Expectations

It has been 18 months since the release of Battlefield 2042, and it is a wonder that the game is still standing. Despite the anticipation and curiosity surrounding its release, the number of players has drastically declined. One of the main reasons for this is the absence of a single-player campaign, which disappointed many fans. Additionally, the highly anticipated Breakthrough mode with 128 players did not resonate well with players, leading to its retirement by the developers, DICE, just six months after the game’s launch. DICE admitted that 64 player battles were more suitable for the Breakthrough mode, as it allowed squads to work better together.

Technical Issues and Lack of Content

Unfortunately, Battlefield 2042 was plagued with technical bugs upon release and lacked a season 1, which took several months to arrive. As a result, the player count on Steam dropped to around 3,000, with only 2,700 players remaining by May 12th. The game was overshadowed by its predecessors, Battlefield 1 and Battlefield V, in terms of player engagement.

Rejection of the Specialist System

One of the major reasons for player dissatisfaction was the specialist system, which offered more flexibility to players compared to regular classes. However, this led to unbalanced gameplay, with some characters becoming overpowered and others being rendered useless. In response to the feedback, DICE made numerous updates focusing on stability, gameplay, and content. Battlefield 2042 has undoubtedly improved since its rocky launch.

Aiming for Redemption

In January, through the 3.2 update, the class system made a comeback along with the highly anticipated Rupture map revamp. DICE admitted their initial misjudgment but expressed their commitment to improving the game. They emphasized the importance of addressing the game’s flaws and spent significant time working on solutions.

Player Criticism

However, there was a backlash when a snippet of an interview implied blame on the players. Many felt that DICE should have simply acknowledged the design mistake and focused on moving forward instead of shifting blame. It is important to note that for the majority of the interview, DICE took responsibility for the game’s problems and highlighted the efforts made by their team to rectify them. Therefore, it would be unfair to judge the entire studio based on a single statement.