Battlefield 2042 hasn’t really been on the receiving end of terribly positive reviews. However, EA and DICE are adamant the game could be a success yet. Unfortunately, no matter how many updates the companies push to the first-person shooter, player interest doesn’t seem to increase much. The latest release, Update 4.1, doesn’t promise to be any more exciting than the last, primarily owing to the fact that it officially removes the 128-player Breakthrough mode from Battlefield 2048.
DICE has said that the mode simply wasn’t working as it should have been, which is why it’s now been removed in favor of a 64-player Breakthrough mode. Here’s what VICE had to say when asked about the removal: ‘In Breakthrough’s 128 player mode, we feel that the value and impact of an individual player and squad are reduced due to the increased intensity and chaos of the combat.’ The growing feeling amongst gamers is that the mode was removed because such a high potential player count on a game that doesn’t see that amount of players online concurrently is a little redundant.
DICE, however, maintains that the decision is purely motivated by the need for a more balanced player experience. ‘Reducing our player count here helps to remove some of the chaos from the experience, and in combination with the reductions that we have made to the number of available combat vehicles, it means players are better able to hold frontlines more effectively. Players will also find more space to work together and fulfill their individual roles.’
It would be ignorant to say that this move to a 64-player Breakthrough mode is controversial. It’s more expected in the grander scheme of the game’s popularity. But DICE is adamant that it’s the right choice and will garner a more dedicated player base. ‘We believe that the move to 64 players will bring back the pacing that helps celebrate these moments of teamwork and PTFOing, and will be keeping a close eye on how our changes help to improve the experience ahead of the start of Season 1.’
Only June, and the release of Battlefield 2042 Season 1, will tell whether EA and VICE are making the right improvements or whether the game will continue to slip slowly, unnoticeably, into irrelevance. Until then, why not reminisce about the time Battlefield 2042 added and then promptly removed zombies?
