- The Battlefield franchise has been bested by other FPS titles, mainly because of their rough launches in the past.
- Battlefield 5’s release disappointed with a lack of content and updates, making players lose interest in the franchise.
- DICE stuck with the game and polished it enough to make it one of the best entries in the series.
- The game is better than ever today.
What was once one of the biggest FPS franchises of all time has now been overtaken by many others, including its own rival, Call of Duty. The Battlefield franchise has seen better days, with some of the last releases being downright mediocre.
However, if you’ve been a fan of the franchise for long enough, like me, you’ll know that Battlefield games aren’t always stellar at their releases. It takes a while for them to get going since DICE has repeatedly shown this pattern.
However, the core of Battlefield’s gameplay is what contributes to the game’s longevity. To be fair, the games are quite ahead of their time at release, as evidenced by the title Battlefield 3, a game that is still populated more than a decade after its release.
While I cannot say the same for Battlefield 2042, its predecessor, Battlefield 5, released almost six years ago, also suffered from a rough launch. However, DICE stuck to the game till the end, which led to one of this IP’s most iconic redemption arcs.
Almost six years after its release, Battlefield 5 demands your attention to prove that it’s still one of the most solid FPS titles at the moment.
Why it matters: There is a distinct lack of high-quality World War 2 shooters from AAA studios. Therefore, Battlefield 5 finds itself in a unique position to satisfy this market.
A Rough Launch
Amid EA’s live-service push, Battlefield 5 suffered from a lack of content at launch.
A buggy launch with performance issues, balancing problems, and a poor marketing campaign that seemingly went against the community worked against any chance of Battlefield 5 becoming a successful release.
Despite boasting some of the best visuals for its time, Battlefield 5’s core features were either absent or incomplete. Many weapons and maps in development were canceled in favor of prioritizing fixes, which disappointed players and eventually led to them abandoning the game for other titles.
Moreover, Firestorm, the battle royale mode for the title, was also considered subpar. Still, it managed to occasionally provide enjoyable experiences with friends. It would be fair to say that Battlefield 5, at launch, was a miss by EA and was ultimately considered a flop.
Battlefield 5 Redeemed
Unlike many other developers, DICE remained committed to its live-service model, which I admire. With consistent updates that brought in new content and fixes, all free of charge, these changes significantly improved the game over time.
Battlefield 2042’s disappointing release prompted many players to revisit this entry after years. Disappointed with Battlefield 2042, fans turned to Battlefield 5, especially during the summer sale last year when the game was priced at just $4.
This resulted in a peak count of 116K players four months ago. While Battlefield 5’s servers have been active for some time, this sale brought in a surge of new players. The World War 2 shooter’s current state reflects what was promised at launch.
It holds well to today’s standards regarding visuals, gunplay, and immersion.
I encourage new players to try it through EA’s subscription today if they were left disappointed at the launch. The game has been completely transformed since then.
DICE has also scheduled an update for the game’s anti-cheat system, set to be added on April 5th, ensuring a smoother, cheat-free experience since this has been a significant issue for the game.
Undoubtedly, I am optimistic that Battlefield 5 will continue to entertain players, especially since the next entry in the franchise is still far off, with a release expected in late 2025 or 2026.
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[News Reporter]
Shaheer is currently pursuing a Business degree while also working as a part-time Content Writer. With his deep passion for both writing and video games, he has seamlessly transitioned into a role as a Journalist. Over the past two years, Shaheer has contributed as a freelancer to various websites and landed positions on acclaimed platforms like Gamerant. Currently, his role at Tech4gamers is as a Features Writer, but he also covers News occasionally. Shaheer’s favorite gaming franchises are Assassin’s Creed and the God of War series.
Get In Touch: shaheer@tech4gamers.com
