Why Battlefield 2042 player count dropped so much that developers stopped counting it

Battlefield 2042 was one of the worst releases of 2021, as the game hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. DICE and Electronic Arts would have hoped that the game would be taking the franchise to the next level. There have been three years of work in the making and fans are equally hopeful and eager to see what the new release will bring.

However, all the fans have been met with has been just pure disappointment as the game found itself in foul waters from day one. It quickly generated a lot of negative heat and became one of the worst-reviewed games at launch on Steam. Such was the situation that more people were playing its predecessor Battlefield V at one point.

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Battlefield 2042 has been a step-by-step disaster that has gone from bad-to-worse

Battlefield 2042 has a different setting than its predecessor, which was a big reason for its hype. Another major aspect of its pre-release popularity was the multi-player scene the game was advertising. Unlike previous iterations, the game didn't have a single-player mode.

That decision has backfired as not every gamer plays a military shooter for the multiplayer. Even other recent releases, like Call of Duty Vanguard, have a single-player campaign, although it's shortened.

For a purely multiplayer game, the overall gameplay should be much better. One major grievance of many players has been the poor gunplay the game offers. The guns don't feel good to play with and it also doesn't sound like how it should, breaking the immersion.

Then there are the issues with the game modes, which feel more like a chore at times. There's a reason why most video games, even in 2022, require a campaign of some sort. It helps provide additional content and breaks the monotony of the multiplayer mode. Sadly, Battlefield 2042 can compensate for the issues the game has.

The turbulent period post-release of the game saw several bugs and glitches ruin the experiences of many of the players. While some of these issues have been occasional, there have been major issues at other times, including server overload.

In the following few months since release, gameplay was hindered in several instances where login was not possible due to persistent data issues on the server end.

Battlefield 2042's numbers keep dwindling. The relatively good Call of Duty Vanguard and the ongoing Call of Duty Warzone haven't made its life easier. There is scope for improvements for the game, but it remains to be seen if DICE will take heart from the criticisms and fix it.

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Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.