Steam is refunding users who want to return Battlefield 2042

Battlefield 2042 has struggled to retain an active player base, and as the days went on following its Steam release, peak numbers continued to fall. To make matters worse for the long-running shooter franchise's latest release, some players are finding a way to get the game refunded on Steam.

On the surface, a few players refunding the latest Battlefield on Steam may not seem like a major deal. As with most games, players can request a refund for a game as long as they meet certain requirements.

However, Battlefield 2042 stands out as a new problem because those requirements are being altered.

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How players are getting Battlefield 2042 refunded on Steam

The usual requirement for a refund on Steam is based on time played and time owned. As long as the game hasn't been played for more than two hours and it's been less than 14 days since purchase, a refund can be requested. Typically, Steam will honor that refund request and players will get their money back.

According to one user on Reddit named Roboserg, who also provided his Steam support tickets for the situation, they were able to get a refund even though they surpassed their play time limits. Roboserg had played for at least four hours before he asked for a refund, and at first, he was denied.

On a second attempt, Steam granted the player their refund after some rules were clearly bent to fit the release of the latest Battlefield. While they had played the game for four hours, they claimed that at least half that time was spent dealing with bugs and crashes.

Steam clearly bought that argument and set a new precedent for refunds, when it came to Battlefield 2042 at least. At the moment, it's unknown how many times this method has been successful.

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How many players are still in Battlefield 2042?

Players are moving back to previous Battlefield games. (Image via Electronic Arts)

Steam Charts is a great way to track how games are doing in terms of player population. It's no secret that the player base for the latest Battlefield has been dwindling, but worryingly for EA and DICE, there are no signs of those numbers slowing down.

As of January 12, Battlefield 2042 saw a 24-hour peak of 8,563 players, and the total even plummeted to under 5,000 at one point. Battlefield V, the previous installment in the franchise, has enjoyed a higher player count over the past couple of weeks, which has inevitably garnered even more negative publicity for its sequel.