DICE Defends Battlefield 2042's Controversial Specialists And Outlines Bevy Of Changes
One only needs to peruse the comments on the trailer showcasing the debut of the last five specialists to be added to Battlefield 2042, to get a sense of how the community feels about the change. The comments are littered with players sharing their disdain and desire for the old 4 class system to return.
The dislike for the new system stems from players saying it hampers teamwork. Dice has addressed those concerns in its latest blog post saying, “There were multiple factors in play during the open beta that we feel contributed to the perception of how the Specialists role contributes to squad play in Battlefield 2042.”
Dice recognized that the need for numerous improvements to the user interface (UI), the ability to identify friend from foe, the ping system, and in-game team communication were all frustratingly missing from the open beta despite being vital to team play. However, the developer assures players those features will be included in the full launch.
Battlefield 2042 Players Have Strong Feelings About The Final Five Specialists
The next thing it addressed was that players were not introduced to the final five Specialists. Dice stated, “Now that all the cards are on the table, let us know what you think.” The new Specialists drew perhaps the most ire from players as they expressed their want for the old 4 class system to return and that continued on the YouTube post showing the last 5 Specialists
Battlefield attempts to keep some of the nostalgia from the old system by making loadouts fully customizable. The open beta set players up with four loadouts that mirrored the traditional Assault, Medic, Support and Recon classes. Those loadouts will be included by default in the full launch, but a larger array of tools will be made available to aid in switching between setups.
Squad composition was another frustration from players during open beta. There will not be any duplicates inside the squad upon release of the full game and Specialist selection will be unique. However, in All-Out Warfare you will have the freedom of moving between Specialists and loadouts which should help you support the entire Squad.
Battlefield seems set on keeping the new Specialist structure, despite the calls of many in the gaming community to go back to the old system. It seems Dice is focused on creating a new and fresh feel to the Battlefield family while trying to keep some of the nostalgia of the old. The developer also seems to be trying to integrate aspects from competitors and give a fresh new look to its own game. Time will tell if this resonates in a positive way with the community.
Players are being assured that the ping system will operate better at launch along with other adjustments and changes to the UI itself. Dice said, "There are others systems that were either in the Open Beta, but only partially represented, or in the final stages of development in the full game, and so not part of what you got your hands on with (in Open Beta)." You can find a deeper explanation of all this and more on Battlefield 2042’s blog.
What are your thoughts on the new Specialists? Do you think Battlefield is heading in the right direction with this new structure? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
