Battlefield 2042 is so unpopular, players are flocking back to Battlefield V

Update

Players are leaving Battlefield 2042 in droves, with DICE’s latest release falling so flat it’s being outclassed by the game’s predecessor Battlefield V. The 2018 release has more players on Steam than Battlefield 2042 as the issues with the new title keep racking up.

Despite plenty of hype, Battlefield 2042 hasn’t been the Call of Duty killer it was made out to be.

DICE’s latest release in the iconic franchise has been met with resounding community criticism at almost every detail. Aim assist, or lack thereof, has made the game impossible to play on consoles. There’s been plenty of glitches, and even cosmetics offered to players haven’t been loved.

This is so much so that just weeks after the game’s full release, players are already heading back to Battlefield V in droves.

Battlefield V, the franchise’s previous release, currently has more players than Battlefield 2042.

According to data from Steam Charts, Battlefield V has had a consistently higher peak in concurrent players on Steam in December 2021 compared to Battlefield 2042. The 2018 release peaks at around 20,000 players daily ⁠— jumping to nearly 25,000 on weekends ⁠— while Battlefield 2042 has fallen to below a peak of 19,000 a day.

This is also reflected somewhat in the game’s streaming numbers on Twitch. In the last month, Battlefield has nearly fallen out of the top 50 games on Twitch, losing out to Call of Duty, Halo Infinite, and even titles like Path of Exile and World of Tanks.

It comes after news a lead developer on Battlefield 2042, head of design Fawzi Mesmar, has left DICE ⁠in the wake of the game’s launch. They stated in an email they intended to leave after the sequel was shipped, with the botched release not part of his motivation to go.

Battlefield V player numbers have now surpassed #Battlefield2042 on Steam. pic.twitter.com/wS35FnQ2k4

— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) December 24, 2021

While DICE are continually shipping updates to Battlefield 2042, it seems there’s still a long way to go in bringing players back to the new release.

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