Former Battlefield dev slams Battlefield 2042’s poor design
EABattlefield 2042’s rocky launch has been well documented, with many fans criticizing DICE’s new FPS. Now, a developer who worked on past Battlefield games has hit out at the state of the game.
After a disastrous launch, Battlefield 2042 has been making the headlines for all the wrong reasons as of late. Its player count has dipped to unbelievable lows, while EA admitted that sales of the shooter were “disappointing”.
Fans have even been demanding refunds, claiming that Battlefield 2042 is unfinished and they were misled by false advertising. Rightly or wrongly, there’s no doubt that the game has received criticism from all directions.
Even an ex-Battlefield developer has begun calling out its shortcomings, criticizing the fundamental design decisions behind the game.
EAFormer Battlefield dev calls out Battlefield 2042
David Goldfarb worked as a Lead Writer and Lead Designer at DICE in the early 2010s and had a hand in the development of both Battlefield Bad Company 2 and Battlefield 3. In a Twitter thread from February 8, he noted that he had seen his first glimpse of Battlefield 2042’s problems in a video, saying: “Boy I have some questions about that product.”
He went on to scrutinize some of the choices made before Battlefield 2042 launched. “Really trying to understand why some of these design calls were made. Why are there no smaller infantry maps? Why are whole maps shipping without any detail art?”
In a follow-up tweet, he asked how so many faults were able to slip through into the final product. “Was no one in control of quality over there? Who thought this experience honored the BF sandbox experience and took it forward? I’m astonished that there were this many missteps even knowing the obstacles from higher up.”
Was no one in control of quality over there? Who thought this experience honored the BF sandbox experience and took it forward? I’m astonished that there were this many missteps even knowing the obstacles from higher up.
— David Goldfarb (@locust9) February 8, 2022
In the replies, although Goldfarb admitted he was “struggling to see a coherent design concept and direction,” he did stand up against accusations that the developers weren’t committed to making a great game. He said: “I wouldn’t fault the devs… no one sits down to make a game without passion.”
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Two days after the initial post, the former employee returned to the thread to offer some thoughts on where the franchise should go next. He urged DICE to set the next Battlefield game even further in the future, and “reclaim their mantle of combined arms badassery that they built their legacy on.”
While DICE and EA will no doubt have some idea on where the series will go next, the top priority right now is to fix Battlefield 2042. But hopefully, the criticisms from David Goldfarb as well as the community will be taken on board going forward.