Battlefield 2042 is one of the most controversial games of recent years. It was arguably the most highly-anticipated game of 2021, but design-related decisions and several other issues stole the spotlight. Fans had reported these problems during the Battlefield 2042 beta and felt like their issues were not addressed when the game launched in an unfinished state.
The vast 128-player count on PC, and current-gen consoles, was one of the biggest selling points of Battlefield 2042. However, it also resulted in a lot of empty spaces as the overly large maps ended up high on users’ list of complaints. DICE had earlier confirmed that it will be using bots to fill these massive lobbies, but that can only help in limited ways. Now, DICE has released a new blog post that addresses the map size among several other issues.
The detailed post discusses several key points related to maps in Battlefield 2042, with a separate section for future maps. DICE realizes that bigger maps don’t always equate to more freedom or fun, and states that fans can expect future maps to be smaller in scale than most of the recent ones. The developer is also considering a reduction in the number of Sectors and Capture Points when playing with 128 total players. The post then states that DICE is thinking about changing the shape of the maps from square to rectangular, as this will incentivize players to push forward instead of trying to circle around the opponents.
DICE will also look into the player count across other game modes and uses Battlefield 2042’s Breakthrough mode as an example. Finally, the developer is reviewing the number and types of vehicles available on a map for balance purposes. DICE has released a lot of other information in the post that discusses various elements like traversal, intensity, and cover in Battlefield 2042. It has also shared images of new prototype layouts for Conquest and Breakthrough game modes.
Despite reportedly strong sales on release, the Battlefield 2042 player-base is dwindling on Steam as users gravitate towards older games in the series. EA had recently denied reports that Halo Infinite led to Battlefield 2042’s poor reception despite launching within a week of each other. Halo Infinite multiplayer launched on November 15, just days before Battlefield 2042, as a free-to-play title and many users praised its gameplay. Granted, Halo Infinite has its problems, but the overall reception is fairly different from Battlefield 2042.
Battlefield 2042 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
