Battlefield 2042 might have had one of the toughest starts in the history of the shooter series. Numerous problems and changes caused frustration among fans. Industry insider Tom Henderson now reveals in a report how it all came to be and what is planned for the future.
Who is this? Henderson is known as a prominent insider for Battlefield and other major franchises like Call of Duty. He is well-connected in the industry and has direct access to many developers. He leaked several details about Battlefield 2042 beforehand:
- He revealed some screenshots early on and disclosed the setting of Battlefield 2042 when it was still referred to as Battlefield 6.
- He also named the correct window in which Battlefield 2042 was presented.
- He revealed the new feature that allows players to adjust weapons during a match via the Plus menu.
- Additionally, he disclosed early details about then-still-secret modes like Battlefield Portal or Hazard Zone, which turned out to be correct.
The latest report focuses on the development of Battlefield 2042 and the issues that developer DICE has faced since the similarly difficult release of Battlefield V.
In the report, which Henderson released as a 30-minute video, he discusses numerous departures of former employees who played significant roles in the development of Battlefield and how decisions made by publisher EA influenced the direction of Battlefield 2042.
Henderson also offers a brief insight into the future of Battlefield. We summarize the most important information from the report for you.
The Beginnings of Battlefield 2042 Were Marked by Departures
How it went at DICE after the release of Battlefield V: The problems started right with the departures of many key figures from DICE, who left the studio after the release of Battlefield V.
The list is quite extensive, as Henderson shows in his video. 18 executive employees left the studio at that time, including people like:
- Patrick Bach, Executive Producer, had been with DICE for 15 years.
- Anders Gyllenberg, Senior Development Director, had been with DICE for 12 years.
- Jörgen Carlström, Senior Development Director, had been with DICE for 18 years.
- Gustav Tilleby, Art Director, had been with DICE for 20 years.
- Patrick Söderlund, Vice President, had been with DICE for 18 years.
You can see the departures in a table provided by Tom Henderson himself:
It is striking that many employees have come together to form a new studio, Embark Studios. Others have found employment with well-known industry employers, such as Ubisoft, Paradox Interactive (publisher of Crusader Kings), or Remedy Entertainment (Alan Wake, Control).
This concerns only the leading figures. In recent years, over 100 developers, designers, and technicians have left DICE.
Why did so many leave the studio? According to Henderson, this was related to the botched release of Battlefield V and the direction that EA set for Battlefield.
- For example, a Battle Royale mode was imposed through Firestorm, while other ideas from the developers were likely ignored.
- EA apparently wanted to model itself after other successful games at that time.
- Concrete examples are Fortnite or PUBG, which were shaking up the industry at that time.
- Of course, normal developments in working relationships also added to this.
According to Henderson, the former employees wanted creative freedom and did not want to follow the direction anymore. Thus, Battlefield V’s Battle Royale mode was only developed once numerous key figures were already gone and could not be deemed a success.
Nevertheless, many features and decisions that were made for Battlefield 2042 were established during this time. This includes the new drop feature for vehicles or the modification of weapons during a match on the battlefield.
Originally, the game was supposed to be a Battle Royale title, but there were other hurdles that needed to be overcome first.
Technical Problems with Engine and Cross-Gen, Experienced Employees Were Missing
These were the initial problems: The studio first had to regroup, update the engine to the latest version, and overcome several other hurdles.
The departures alone left a huge gap on a technical level: The overdue upgrade of the Frostbite engine. According to Henderson, Battlefield V was already developed with a 2016 version of the engine. For context: Battlefield V was released in 2018.
DICE reportedly still has problems bringing the engine up to date since the minds behind Frostbite are no longer working at DICE.
Henderson cites an unnamed former developer:
3 years of development, 18 months that were actually only needed to get Battlefield running on a new engine, so much had to be rewritten. Unfortunately, due to the upheavals at DICE, many experienced employees who originally developed and designed the systems were no longer there.
via YouTube
There was also another major problem: Battlefield 2042 had to be developed for 5 different platforms. There are versions for the older consoles PS4 and Xbox One, as well as the technically stronger platforms PS5, Xbox Series, and PC.
This complicated the development, as the game also had to run on outdated hardware. At the same time, the stronger platforms were upgraded to accommodate 128 players, which had never happened in the series before. This was a feature that DICE had actually discarded back in 2013 with Battlefield 3.
In 2020, the game was still in the conceptual phase and wasn’t even supposed to be a Battlefield title.
Early on, it was decided to drop the known classes and introduce new specialists. These strongly resemble the operators from Call of Duty. During development, they seemingly oriented themselves around successful BR titles such as Warzone.
In the end, this did not happen, and the result is a release that reminds many of Battlefield 4 and is plagued by technical and content issues. MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus wrote before the release:
According to Henderson, the team is now working hard to fix the game. Whether it will work remains to be seen in the coming months.
What’s next? Henderson also gives insight into EA’s plans for Battlefield, which they want to pursue or have scrapped. For instance, a Battlefield: Bad Company 3 was canceled over concerns that it would not sell well enough. However, this seems to be just one of many projects that have been canceled.
- The next Battlefield is likely to be some kind of hero shooter, similar to what you see with Overwatch.
- It will be based on the specialists from Battlefield 2042.
- Moreover, there are plans for a “connected universe” that aims to expand the universe beyond Battlefield 2042. (via Gamespot.com)
- For this, they have brought in the designer of Master Chief and former Bungie employee Marcus Letho. (via IGN.com)
- A Battle Royale spin-off is supposed to come in the “near future,” but not in the next 6 months.
Additionally, the head of Apex Legends has already been hired for the new direction of Battlefield 2042, while another DICE employee has left the studio.
These things are not set in stone, as DICE is currently focused on fixes for Battlefield 2042. The first updates have not made fans happy either, since the biggest issues remain in the game.
The complete, detailed report can also be watched on YouTube or read in the subreddit (via reddit) for a summary. Here is the video for you:
What do you think about the story? Are you satisfied with Battlefield 2042 so far? Or do you believe the game needed more time? Do you see a future for the direction that EA now apparently wants to take?
The whole story reminds of other incidents in the gaming industry. Prominent examples here are Blizzard and Bungie, who struggled with similar situations a few years ago.
The decision to develop a Battlefield game apparently happened only between April and August 2020.
The Actual Game Was Developed in Under 1.5 Years
When did the actual development begin? According to Henderson, the conceptual phase was only completed in August 2020. Thus, the actual production began just 1 year and 3 months before the “gold status” of the game. “Gold status” means that production is officially completed.
The first leaked trailer in early 2021 still relied on assets from Battlefield 3 and 4. During the same period, an EA official stated that Battlefield 2042 was far ahead of schedule and that development was going well.
This contrasts with Henderson’s portrayal. DICE was apparently completely overwhelmed and sought help from external studios like Ripple Effect (responsible for Battlefield Portal) and Criterion Games.
The technical difficulties in development persisted and extended into the phase when the alpha and beta of Battlefield 2042 were to be released. The release was ultimately postponed from October 22 to November 19, and the beta eventually took place in October.
During this time, the public could also see for the first time in what condition the game was.
According to Henderson, DICE also wanted significantly more time but apparently did not get it. It is said: “We wanted more time, but wanting something and getting something are two completely different things.” (via YouTube)
Battlefield 2042 Needed More Time, Plans for Battle Royale in the Near Future
What is the conclusion from all this? Ultimately, both Henderson, DICE employees, and fans come to a simple realization: Battlefield 2042 needed more time for development.
In the end, this did not happen, and the result is a release that reminds many of Battlefield 4 and is plagued by technical and content issues. MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus wrote before the release:
According to Henderson, the team is now working hard to fix the game. Whether it will work remains to be seen in the coming months.
What’s next? Henderson also gives insight into EA’s plans for Battlefield, which they want to pursue or have scrapped. For instance, a Battlefield: Bad Company 3 was canceled over concerns that it would not sell well enough. However, this seems to be just one of many projects that have been canceled.
- The next Battlefield is likely to be some kind of hero shooter, similar to what you see with Overwatch.
- It will be based on the specialists from Battlefield 2042.
- Moreover, there are plans for a “connected universe” that aims to expand the universe beyond Battlefield 2042. (via Gamespot.com)
- For this, they have brought in the designer of Master Chief and former Bungie employee Marcus Letho. (via IGN.com)
- A Battle Royale spin-off is supposed to come in the “near future,” but not in the next 6 months.
Additionally, the head of Apex Legends has already been hired for the new direction of Battlefield 2042, while another DICE employee has left the studio.
These things are not set in stone, as DICE is currently focused on fixes for Battlefield 2042. The first updates have not made fans happy either, since the biggest issues remain in the game.
The complete, detailed report can also be watched on YouTube or read in the subreddit (via reddit) for a summary. Here is the video for you:
What do you think about the story? Are you satisfied with Battlefield 2042 so far? Or do you believe the game needed more time? Do you see a future for the direction that EA now apparently wants to take?
The whole story reminds of other incidents in the gaming industry. Prominent examples here are Blizzard and Bungie, who struggled with similar situations a few years ago.
