Since the unveiling of Battlefield 2042 in June, EA and DICE have been relatively reserved. There are hardly any concrete details about the game itself, no new videos or information. Fans are starting to become restless.
What is the problem? With a flashy trailer and initial information, Battlefield 2042 was revealed during E3 2021. The hype was huge, and so was the anticipation of many players.
In July, there was another presentation of the Portal mode with EA Play. This announcement further fueled the hype, as remakes of the most popular Battlefield maps and numerous other content from earlier installments are making a return in a new form.
The mood in the community was good, and anticipation was high. However, the situation has changed since then.
Radio Silence Disappoints Players: 101 Days Since the Last Developer Panel
What has changed? Aside from an alpha playtest in mid-August under NDA, from which numerous pieces of information were leaked: Not much. There has been no concrete information about the game, no gameplay, and no reveals. This is making fans nervous, as can be seen in the subreddit for Battlefield 2042. (via reddit.com)
A good example of why players have become skeptical is the open beta. Since the announcement, EA has not provided a concrete release date. For months, it was said: The beta will come in September.
But then the release of the game was postponed, and it was only stated that more information about the beta would follow. Now we have September 25th, and there is still no official statement from EA or developer DICE.
Players are currently relying on insiders like Tom Henderson, who provides more updates on the beta release than EA has in recent months.
Numerous posts point out that disappointment over the radio silence is considerable at least in part of the community. Players criticize the strange marketing strategy of publisher Electronic Arts. The demand: Tell us what’s going on!
User JoeKatana points out in his post how long ago EA Play took place: “I just realized that it has been about 101 days since we had a proper panel from the developers. These panels would certainly make the wait until the launch more bearable.” (via reddit.com)
Many other commentators feel similarly and wonder why there has been no more news about the Battlefield installment.
User Carbideninja is not bothered by the lack of beta start times but rather by the tension this radio silence has created: “The way they first presented BF2042 to the community, […] how they completely stopped positive marketing and put the whole community in a pessimistic mood is frankly terrible.”
GreenyMyMan compared the pre-launch roadmap of Battlefield 2042 with that of its predecessor:
In direct comparison, it is evident how little was planned in advance for Battlefield 2042 compared to its predecessor.
User ethang45 writes about this: “The BFV marketing was interesting. […] 2042 began marketing from a position of strength and always maintained a good run, even with little new information.”
In general, there is a discussion about the overall hype before releases and whether it has simply diminished because the fascination for new players is overall declining. However, these are merely conjectures from individual players and are hard to substantiate with facts.
Looking at the mood among commentators, there certainly seemed to be a hype that is now gradually subsiding due to the lack of news.
Is this all just a tactic? In another reddit post, there is speculation discussing whether this is simply EA’s marketing strategy: Keep people on edge and hoping for new information. During the waiting time, discussions about the product continue, and speculation keeps the hype going. (via reddit.com)
The trick here is not to let the fan sentiment drop negatively. And according to some players, it may already be too late for that. Whether this applies to all players is speculation.
When can we expect new information? It is currently difficult to say. According to insider Tom Henderson, the open beta starts in early October. Allegedly, there will be a preview for content creators like streamers and media representatives beforehand.
If the information is accurate, you can expect new information by October 4th at the latest.
When is the release date for Battlefield 2042 after the delay? The official release is now set for November 19, 2021. Originally, it was scheduled for October 22.
How do you feel about it? Do you feel the same way as the commentators? Or is the amount of information before release not that important to you? What do you think about the hype discussion? Feel free to discuss with us in the comments.
If you want to know more about the open beta, check out our special on Battlefield 2042: Everything about the Open Beta – Start, Registration, Download
