Battlefield 2042 Season One delayed to fix bugs and player concerns

The first season of Battlefield 2042 DLC has been delayed to early Summer while its developers fix the game’s existing bugs, introduce new features, and add several quality-of-life improvements in response to player feedback, according to an official blog post.

The bug fixes and gameplay improvements are scheduled to release across the next few months in a set of updates. It will include a refreshed in-round scoreboard that more closely resembles past Battlefield games, player profiles that give you a better overview of your stats and unlock progression, as well as in-game voice chat (VOIP) and other improvements to “enhance team play and communications”.

The blog post also mentions changes will be made to Battlefield 2042’s fundamental gameplay loops. Its gunplay will be tweaked, the squad loop will be made “tighter”, and the rewards system changed to encourage players to play the objective. Changes will also be coming to its flexible Specialists classes, while the Portal editor will be getting new tools, modes, and tweaks to player experience gains.

The post goes into substantial detail about how future feedback from players will be acted upon and integrated into the game. DICE says it will be more transparent about its development decisions, presenting new ideas, and listening to feedback, before outlining how player concerns have factored into its designs.

“Today we are stating our team's commitment to bring the game up to the highest standards that we all hold for the franchise,” senior producer Ryan McArthur said in the post.

“We have heard you. So, we are heavily invested and committed to the future of Battlefield 2042 – working on taking action on multiple fronts to address feedback and implement extensive fixes to the game, key features that are important to you, and getting team play where it needs to be.”

When it comes to Battlefield 2042’s delayed Season One, DICE is less forthcoming. It will arrive in early Summer and kick off a year of DLC that will introduce four new Specialists, new locations, and additional content.

Players who’ve already bought a Year 1 Pass will receive a bundle of in-game goodies, including several skins and a melee weapon, as compensation in the next update.

Analysis: time well spent 

Battlefield 2042 has not had a smooth launch. What should have been a blockbuster release for EA to ring in the new year turned out to be a disappointing mess, with players still complaining of the barrage of bugs and game-breaking glitches that permeate the game. The news that DICE is taking a step back to fix existing issues, rather than creating and selling even for content for the game, will please players who've felt disappointed for the last few months.

The statement not only acknowledges the poor state of the game, it also shows DICE will make an effort to improve the transparency of the game’s direction with eager, albeit wary, fans.

“Our commitment is to explain our reasoning behind future decisions and to make sure you understand where we stand on your feedback,” McArthur says in the blog post. 

“We want you to see more of the big picture of where we’re going and incorporate more of what we’re already hearing to ensure that our work is meaningful to you.

“We’ll start this process ahead of the launch of our next update. You’ll read about it here on our website when we start these conversations, and if you’re already following Battlefield across social media, you won’t miss it when we do.”

This attempt to better integrate the game's community with its development may alleviate the more pressing concerns of players who have, until now, become angry at the developer’s inability to fully acknowledge the poor state of the game. If DICE doesn’t follow through on its commitments to ensure the game is up to scratch by the time summer rolls around, it may find itself subject to the same ire in a couple of months.

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