According to a former developer from DICE, Battlefield 2042 had a strict deadline and it "never had real prospects of becoming a great game from the start."
Battlefield 2042 is now an excellent game, despite its unsuccessful launch in 2021. DICE has diligently fixed almost all the issues, added and fine-tuned various elements. As PCG's Morgan Park wrote a few months ago, "I'm having as much fun as the glory days of Battlefield 3 and 4."
Producer Nika Bender and associate producer Alexia Christofi acknowledged that the game's launch was challenging, and it fell short of expectations. The first season had to be delayed to address issues, and the user reviews and public reception were negative. Publisher EA admitted that the game did not meet expectations.
Recently, developers have been sharing their experiences working on games that didn't receive widespread acclaim but had elements they loved. For senior backend engineer Joakim Bodin, who previously worked at DICE/EA and is now at Epic Games, that game is Battlefield 2042.
Bodin acknowledged that the game underwent numerous iterations and never had significant chances of becoming great from the start. However, he takes pride in contributing to the development of full cross-play, progression, and commerce systems in the game, which will be beneficial for future projects.
The future projects of Battlefield promise to be exciting and diverse. Despite the troubled launch of Battlefield 2042, this setback is not enough to bring down the entire franchise. EA recently established a new studio in Seattle called Ridgeline, which is focused on developing a single-player campaign for Battlefield. Ripple Effect, the Los Angeles-based studio behind Battlefield Portal, is also working on their own project. Battlefield GM Byron Beede confirmed to PC Gamer last year that DICE has already begun pre-production on something new.
"We are already in pre-production on new Battlefield projects coming out of DICE, Ripple Effect, and Ridgeline Studios," said Beede. "As a global team across multiple studios, we aim to unlock the full potential of this franchise as one of the best first-person shooters. This global effort allows us to work on these new experiences while still having a dedicated team for the future of Battlefield 2042."
However, DICE will have to move forward without a key figure. Last week, it was announced that Lars Gustavsson, the former Creative Director of Battlefield games at DICE and, more importantly, the man known as "Mr. Battlefield," has founded a new studio. TTK Games, based in Stockholm, is currently working on a "new, next-generation online shooter."
The future of the Battlefield franchise remains bright, with various studios and teams working on different projects to expand the series and deliver new experiences to fans.
Comments