'Battlefield 2042' Fans Are Worried Over Open Beta's Mixed Reception

The recently concluded open beta for the highly anticipated “Battlefield 2042” ended on a somewhat bitter note as many players expressed their disappointment over some of the game’s questionable design choices.

Players flocked “Battlefield 2042’s” servers as EA opened the game for all to play over the weekend. While many of the beta participants enjoyed what content was available during the limited-time testing event, the series’ long-time fans weren’t particularly thrilled with what they experienced.

The “Battlefield 2042” subreddit was filled with complaints regarding many of the game’s elements, from the UI design to the many bugs and missing QoL features that should have been staples in a “Battlefield” game. One Reddit user said that it felt like a battle royale game with “Battlefield’s” signature Conquest mode tacked onto it, while others complained about gameplay design decisions that supposedly watered down the overall experience.

DICE did an excellent job at retaining the chaotic fights that the “Battlefield” series was known for, but players quickly pointed out how some changes made the game feel like it was having an identity crisis.

The new Specialist system, for example, was heavily criticized as an unwarranted addition that harmed game balance and broke immersion. The unrestricted loadout selections favored some Specialists over the others while dozens of the same character model fighting each other earned the game the “Clone Wars” moniker.

Several QoL features were missing from the beta as well. There were no grenade indicators, no way to request for health or ammo from teammates, map navigation was confusing and weapon setups via the new Plus system didn’t save in between lives. Vehicles felt floaty and all of them had the ability to self-repair, removing the need for engineers to repair them.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom. Despite the roughness of the beta, players still enjoyed the fluidity of the combat, the satisfying gunplay and all of the wild and crazy plays that fans were able to pull off in true “Battlefield” fashion.

DICE is very attentive when it comes to player feedback, so it’s likely that most of the problems in the open beta will be addressed once the game is fully released next month.