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Battlefield 2042's fall from grace continues well into 2022 as its Steamcharts player count keeps hitting all-time lows from an all-time peak of 100,000 players.
The sequel to Battlefield V was supposed to usher in a new era for the franchise on next-generation consoles. Instead, it seems to have taken the franchise several years back, if fan sentiment, and more importantly, player count, is anything to go by.
While the ever-decreasing player base should be a concern for DICE and Electronic Arts, there are several reasons as to why the game has become a talking point for the entire community.
Battlefield 2042 player count falling with no end in sight
Battlefield 2042 was an ambitious project and it seemed destined for big things. After all, the trailer had gained plenty of traction. Once EA revealed more information about the game, players seemed genuinely excited about the franchise's return to a modern setting.
One unique aspect of the game that made it stand out from its predecessors was that it was the series' first multi-player-only title. The decision was apparently driven by current player trends and a favorable response to multi-player modes in contemporary military shooters.
With much promise and fanfare, the game launched on all platforms but that was its only moment of celebration. The holes appeared soon after and with it came a wave of negative reviews. When an ambitious release quickly becomes one of the worst reviewed games on Steam, that's saying something.
It doesn't mean that Battlefield 2042 is a completely hollow game with no potential. One of the key reasons for the reduction in player count has been how the game has been managed. The lack of single-player gameplay may have been a factor, but the main issue stems from just how bugged and unsatisfactory the multi-player experience is.
Simple things like gunplay feel problematic and suboptimal. Then there are numerous bugs and glitches that have caused a lot of additional headaches for players.
Battlefield 2042 is a case study for all developers
Drop in player counts is nothing new and most games experience it over time due to factors such as lack of fresh content and the arrival of better alternatives. However, for the latest entry by a heavyweight franchise such as Battlefield to suffer such a rapid drop in player count just three months after release is shocking.
It goes to show that whatever DICE tried to do with Battlefield 2042 did not sit well with the series' playerbase, and the technical issues were the straw that broke the camel's back.
Can the game still find its own redemption story? Probably, if sweeping changes are made to bring the game in line with what the players want, such as by bringing back player classes to fully destructible environments.
Also, given that the game has lost a massive chunk of its player base, introducing it as part of the EA Play and Xbox Game Pass catalogs could see newer players hop onboard. However, given the pace at which DICE is moving and the lack of any positive updates, the window for a successful comeback is closing fast.
