The upcoming shooter Battlefield 1 will be released without the French Army in multiplayer. This will be delivered as a DLC at a later time. Fans are far from happy about this.
Battlefield 1 seems to be doing everything right with the “World War I” setting: The reveal trailer suddenly became the most successful trailer on YouTube ever, the gameplay footage shown so far has received overwhelming praise, and anticipation among shooter fans is enormous.
However, there is one thing causing discontent at the moment: The French Army will be missing in the multiplayer of the main game. Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottomans fight against Great Britain, the USA, and Italy. However, France was also an important war participant. What about the Grande Nation in Battlefield 1?
France was “too crucial” for the main game in World War I
Julien Wera from DICE Sweden revealed that the French Army will appear in single-player. There will even be French maps available.
However, the stated reasons for why the French Army is missing in multiplayer are difficult to understand. According to Wera, the French Army had such a decisive role that they want to treat it separately – which requires additional development time. Therefore: France will still come to multiplayer, but only after the launch of Battlefield 1 in an expansion.
Wera left it open whether this will be a free or paid DLC. By the way, the absence of the Russian Army went completely uncommented. But the shooter fans are far from satisfied with this answer regarding the fate of the French. After all, a statement like “We’re leaving this army out because it’s so important” does not go over well.
Fans are dissatisfied with DICE’s statement
Some fans are wondering: If the French Army is so important for the game but needs so much time – why wasn’t this thought of earlier? Shouldn’t such a significant faction of World War I be included in a base game that has World War I as its setting?
In the online forums, people consider DICE’s statement to be an excuse, a bad joke. It’s basically like leaving Real Madrid out of FIFA 17 because that club played such a crucial role as Champions League winners last season that it now needs its own DLC.
In fact, the absence of the French Army is not the main reason why shooter fans in the forums are getting heated and expressing their confusion. It was Wera’s statement that really caused the situation to boil over.
Some users do not shy away from accusing DICE of simply forgetting France and now having to scramble to deliver. They criticize the developers for completely failing in history. Currently, the following video is being celebrated:
One thing is certain: To forgo France in the main game because it is too important – that is not a customer-friendly strategy. DICE should have anticipated that this would cause a stir.
It remains exciting whether this France DLC will be paid or really “only” added at a later time. The significance of the French Army in single-player is still unknown.
Battlefield 1 is set to be released on October 21 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Here you can watch sniper gameplay in Battlefield 1.
