Fawzi Mesmar, the design head of Battlefield 2042, is leaving DICE. This news comes shortly after a tumultuous release. MeinMMO explains the background.
As reported by VGC, this decision was communicated to the development team of Battlefield 2042 via email (via VGC). This step had been planned for a longer time.
In the email, Fawzi Mesmar writes: “It has been an absolute pleasure to work with the best design team in the galaxy. The incredible work you are doing here inspires me every day.”
Why is the developer leaving? Mesmar has accepted an offer from another company. He speaks of a decision that had been planned even before the launch of Battlefield 2042:
Another company made me an offer that I couldn’t refuse, and was kind enough to keep this position open for me until after the release of [Battlefield 2042]. It was very important to me to be here with the team while we create this historic milestone.
Fawzi Mesmar, former design head at DICE, in his farewell email
Mesmar joined in 2019 from King, the studio behind Candy Crush. Since then, he has been the ‘Head of Design’ at DICE. Mesmar was therefore the head of the design teams for Battlefield 2042, Star Wars Battlefront II, and Battlefield V.
When is the developer leaving? Mesmar will leave DICE on November 26. His email indicates that his successor is already determined and will be announced soon.
EA has confirmed Mesmar’s departure to VGC: “Fawzi Mesmar is leaving DICE at the end of the week. We wish him the best for his future.”
Players mock his career
On reddit, players mock Fawzi Mesmar’s career. In particular, his past as a developer of Candy Crush generates a lot of excitement:
- “The design head of the new Battlefield comes from the Candy Crush development team? No wonder the game turned out to be trash.” (ayNynYoonit on reddit)
- “He was obviously unqualified for the job, and it’s no wonder we got garbage when DICE makes a mobile game developer the design head.” (No-Win-2468 on reddit)
- “A new announcement is coming soon, the guy who hired him is getting fired.” (Lincolns_Revenge on reddit)
Fawzi Mesmar was already part of DICE during the development of Star Wars Battlefront II and Battlefield V. His email also indicates that his departure had been set before the release of Battlefield 2042. He stated that he is therefore leaving DICE independently of the reactions surrounding the release of the game.
Departure comes at turbulent times
Mesmar’s departure comes at a time of great turbulence for DICE: Battlefield 2042 received mixed reviews from critics and was torn apart by users on Steam. The developers reportedly even received death threats.
What does this mean for Battlefield 2042? Personnel changes like this are not uncommon in the gaming industry. Mesmar’s departure appears to have been planned for some time, as has his succession. It is therefore not expected that this personnel change will affect long-term plans for Battlefield 2042 after the release.
The release of Battlefield 2042 reportedly went better for DICE than that of Battlefield V:
