Can going free-to-play truly save Battlefield 2042?

Battlefield 2042's release since 2021 has gone from bad to worse, and such is the degree of damage that DICE and EA might be considering something desperate.

The latest installment of the Battlefield series has gone back to the modern setting, with fans and developers hoping the new release will take the series to new heights. After all, the shortcomings of the previous Battlefield V have been analyzed, and efforts were made to ensure there won't be a repeat.

But the execution seems to be faulty as the game's release has been heavily criticized by fans and critics alike. The game's poor performance has now resulted in a sharp decline in player count, and despite a recent patch, there has been little improvement. As per the latest developments, the developers are considering a different structure altogether.

---

Battlefield 2042 might adopt free-to-play, but it may not be adequate

It's no secret that Battlefield 2042's numbers are steadily declining since it became one of the worst-reviewed games on Steam after its release. While DICE have made lofty promises, the job hasn't been delivered.

In light of such a situation, there has been news from reliable insider Tom Henderson that EA might be considering free-to-play to combat the disastrous player count.

Now, although there has been no official confirmation, Battlefield 2042 going free-to-play could certainly happen. Given that the major problem has been the player count, going free-to-play may help. However, there are reasons why the reduced player counts and going free-to-play doesn't repair those.

Battlefield 2042 is a multiplayer-only game, and making it more accessible will bring more players. However, the game servers have been pretty poor, with persistent connection errors going on several times since its release. A greater number of players based on botchy servers will do nobody any good.

Then comes the criticisms related to the game's design. Battlefield 2042 doesn't have a single-player mode so there is no love shown for campaign lovers. The mechanics and basic things like gun animation feel bad.

More players coming in are not going to fix these issues. If anything, the game will receive an even bigger backlash than what it has already received.

The title is a $60 game that has not even completed a quarter of a year since its release. There are fans and players who got the game at base price and have kept faith by not going for refunds even when eligible. By suddenly making the game free, the players who paid for it are sure to feel bad since they could have just waited for a few more months and played it for free.

Battlefield 2042's problems are fixable, but there have been plenty of bad decisions so far. Going to free-to-play mode will only work if the developers bother to fix the real problems that resulted in the dwindling player base in the first place. Otherwise, the temporary spike in players will soon die once everyone realizes that the quality is nowhere to be found.

Note: The article reflects the writer's own views.