EA certainly didn’t plan this: The profanity filter of Battlefield 5 encourages players to come up with more creative insults. The filter censors completely ordinary words.
In Battlefield V, there is a chat filter that censors certain words and replaces them with asterisks. Such filters are supposed to curb toxicity in games and prevent insults. However, this doesn’t quite work in Battlefield 5.
“White man” is a profanity
Chat filter filters everyday words: There was a rumor online for a while that the profanity filter in Battlefield V actually censors everyday words like “white man”. The streamer and YouTuber AngryJoe tested this.
In his video, he types “white man” in the chat of Battlefield V: The displayed result consists of asterisks. For testing, he also tried “brown man” and “asian man”, which both displayed normally.
Reddit seeks more filtered words: On Reddit, the video caused quite a stir. Over 2000 comments were made, mocking the filter.
Additional words were also found that are apparently censored, which actually have no negative connotation, including:
- Titanfall
- dlc (while “free dlc” is supposed to work)
- eat salad
- lag
- nuts
Community now insults more creatively, not less
The reactions to the filter are largely cynical. Battlefield V is already being compared to games for children like Toontown and Club Penguin on Reddit, and some users are upset that the filter is stricter than Roblox’s.
Reddit is making fun: Reddit users have even turned the filter into a sort of game. Instead of adhering to EA’s guidelines, they try to creatively circumvent the profanity filter.
Obscure insults like “taking a toaster bath” or “committing a rope swing” for wishes of death against each other emerge.
Things like “consuming intimate apparel” also pop up.
This seems to be a bug: EA has already responded to the uproar and provided a response on the official forum. In it, they state that it is indeed a bug.
As Battlefield 5 is still in development, such bugs can occur and are not intended. However, reports are important to bring attention to such issues.
Why is the reaction so cynical?
Criticism of women in the game: Battlefield V has been criticized early on for trying to appeal to a group disparagingly referred to as “Social Justice Warriors”. Some players feel that these so-called “SJWs” are attempting to enforce political correctness in games.
The reason for the uproar is the appearance of women with prosthetics in Battlefield V, who, according to the concerned fans, have no place in a historical war game. Discussions about historical accuracy have already been suppressed on Reddit.
EA remains firm: EA has decided to keep women as part of Battlefield V despite the harsh criticism. The EA chief specifically stated: “Deal with it or don’t play it.”
The resurfaced video and the discussion on Reddit, however, reignite the debate and bring new points of criticism. Many critics feel validated.
What do you think? Is the profanity filter too sensitive, or is the community reacting too much? Let us know in a comment!
There is also positive feedback: Fans are reacting to the new trailer of Battlefield 5 with memes and love
