Battlefield 2042’s toxic subreddit may remain locked after developer harassment
A tweet from a Battlefield 2042 spokesperson sparked a social media buzz that could eventually shut down the game’s official subreddit. In response to fans criticizing DICE for a lack of communication and patches throughout the end of December, EA global communications director Andy McNamara told fans in a now-deleted tweet that the Battlefield team had just returned to work after a holiday break.
“Guys, people have to rest. We have a lot to do, but we have to figure out what’s possible,” McNamara said. “Let’s come back from a break and get back to work. Love you guys, but these expectations are brutal. What you want takes time to be identified, designed and executed.”
Some replies were understanding, but the posts were filled with mocking McNamara or announcing that DICE had released a broken game (Battlefield 2042 was buggy, but it worked, and some of us found it amusing).Dog Heap sped up after the tweet was picked up by the BF2042 subreddit, with the post titled “EA/DICE finally responds to the rebound” With over 10,000 likes and 2,000 comments. McNamara later deleted his tweet and apologized for his lack of clarity, which fans also expressed dissatisfaction with.
One reply read: “We want a finished game. Sorry for being unreasonable. I think this unfinished buggy is what you can do.”
Another wrote: “If I do a bad thing at work I have to work as long as it needs to get rid of the glitch. I paid $100 for the game and it’s only 20% done but you’re having some good time long vacation. If the job of a game developer is too hard, don’t do it.”
Since its launch last November, Battlefield 2042 has had a particularly troubled relationship with one of the most prestigious corners of the Battlefield community. The game immediately received tens of thousands of negative reviews on Steam, with many citing launch errors and dissatisfaction with 2042’s biggest changes to the series, such as the replacement of classes by experts or the lack of a traditional scoreboard.
Over the next few weeks, DICE has published several blog posts outlining planned changes, some of which will include the return of “legacy features” that fans have been requesting, and deployed three large patches to address many of the early balance issues (RIP overpowering hovercraft).In the patch notes for update 3.1, DICE said that this will be the last update in 2021, noting that the team will be “in [December] And come back in the new year with fresh eyes, ready to hit the road for season one. “
The backlash to McNamara’s tweet came from a community that was somewhat betrayed by Battlefield 2042, and was prepared to use his comments as a defense of the game as a whole. To an ever-growing list, they’ve added another grievance with legitimate complaints, dubious accusations, and extremely specific nitpicks (“no inflated climax to the dramatic music at the end of the game,” read an early Steam review).
The BF2042 subreddit mod team seems to be prompted by the latest dog pile, with a post today Ultimatum For the community: less toxic, or don’t post at all.
“When we say this subreddit has become very toxic, that’s an understatement,” the post read. “It’s almost impossible to have a simple discussion without insulting each other – it’s really starting to hurt the entire battlefield community, and that each of us is a part of it.”
The announcement goes on to list some potential futures on the subreddit. If the toxicity remains the same then the mod will immediately start locking down the comment thread. Mods will completely block forums if toxicity increases.
“Yes, the last two options appear to be nuclear options, we do not want to use them, but we say we will do everything we can to reduce the current toxicity,” the post reads. This isn’t the first time game subreddit modders have considered nuclear options. Last month, Halo’s subreddit was temporarily shut down by mods after numerous complaints and developer harassment over Halo Infinite’s poor monetization.
Meanwhile, people are still playing Battlefield 2042. I was one of them and still had a lot of fun, especially with small bursts. I’m also hungry for more experts and maps. DICE released a trailer this week may be a new map Entering the first season (I spied a beach).