At this point, it is no secret that the launch of Battlefield 2042 has been one that DICE and EA would have wanted to go a lot smoother. With many long-term fans of the franchise taking issue with the gltich-prone and unfinished nature of Battlefield 2042 at launch, the game's developers only have a small window of opportunity to salvage the potential longevity of the new release.
Therefore, the importance of the next steps that DICE takes in relation to Battlefield 2042 are crucial. With this in mind, DICE recently announcing that Season One of the game's multiplayer has been delayed until Summer showcases a troubling miscue in which the immediate change needed to improve the game is simply not present.
A Lackluster Launch
With the palpable hype surrounding Battlefield 2042 prior to launch, it is no wonder the aforementioned poor state of the initial release did not sit well with fans of the franchise. With the unpolished and seemingly barren state of gameplay across most of the modes the game has to offer juxtaposing the high-octane nature of gameplay showcased in trailers and promotional material, DICE was always going to be on the receiving end of some serious flak. The launch has seen interest in the game decline so sharply that players have reported finding the AAA title in GameStop bargain bins for as little as $4.99, nearly 12 times cheaper than its recommended retail price.
As seen in recent history with the infamous launch of Cyberpunk 2077, a game with a large pre-release following being rushed to release is a contemporary death sentence for post-launch relevancy and hype. This is most evident in the sharp and sustained decline of the Battlefield 2042 player base, with the game astonishingly falling out of the top 50 most played games on Xbox only a few months after its initial release. This trend has remained consistent within other platforms the game is available on, with the current 24-hour player peak on Steam being 4,848, a paltry figure compared to the games peak of over 100,000 concurrent players. This helps contextualize just how serious of a predicament DICE and EA are currently in, with the next steps taken being vital to bring about any form of tangible success within this massive-budget shooter.
The Delay and Its Implications
Of all the steps the development team behind Battlefield 2042 could take to salvage and re-ignite the buzz around the game, the release of new content is one of the most expected ones. Whilst patch after patch can incrementally increase the overall performance and quality of life of a game, the implementation of the first online 'Season' that many multiplayer games have adopted in recent times can provide a tangible lure for both old and new players to (re)visit the game.
This would have surely seen at the very least a partial uptake in players within Battlefield 2042, and gamers were expecting this new Season to drop in March. Season One promised new weapons, gadgets, customization and character skins, and even a new sprawling map for players to battle in, providing a crucial new array of Battlefield content in which the game has been sorely lacking. With this Season now pushed back to the Summer, most likely releasing in June or July, the game inevitably risks falling further into obscurity in the gaming world, which is an environment in which the focus of demographics can shift rapidly away from projects deemed as lost causes.
This delay comes amidst a litany of bad press for the troubled shooter, with EA opting not to even mention Battlefield 2042 sales in a recent shareholder meeting. With the delay eliminating what would have been a promising shake-up of the current game state, DICE needs to act swiftly in other areas to maintain what little player base the game still has remaining.
Potential Saving Graces
The delay of Season One does not mean that Battlefield gamers have nothing to anticipate in March, with DICE instead announcing that a large Battlefield 2042 update will be coming out next month in lieu of the previously promised Season. This update is said to address many key areas which pushed early players away from the game, including the implementation of an improved scoreboard more akin to those of previous Battlefield titles.
While adapting and altering the gameplay formula of a franchise is something to be expected and even encouraged as a franchise such as Battlefield develops, it is undoubtedly the gameplay of older titles that fans are crying out for - evidenced by the popularity of the throwback Portal mode in 2042. In this way, it is a promising sign that DICE is working to encapsulate classic aspects of gameplay that influenced Battlefield's rise to popularity, with a balance between this and fresher mechanics being the key to providing attractive but less predictable gameplay.
An additional aspect to consider is the increasingly popular rumor that Battlefield 2042 may become free to play in the near future. There is seemingly no better immediate change that could bring a much-needed injection to the waning player base 2042 is experiencing, with the $60 standard-edition price tag at launch joining the negative critical reception to put a lot of players off. While players who've already purchased the game may take umbrage toward this potential free-to-play decision, they must also take some solace in the fact that the move could be the catalyst needed to revive the game and provide a more positive long-term experience with it.
With the recently released roadmap of Battlefield 2042 showcasing the additional content that DICE still hopes to implement, it remains to be seen whether the delay of Season One will be yet another mishandling of the games already tumultuous launch.
Battlefield 2042 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
