[easyazon_link identifier=”B07DMBLBLL” locale=”US” tag=”boundingintocomics-20″]Battlefield V[/easyazon_link]’s open beta has officially ended and the development team penned an open letter to beta testers where they not only thank the beta testers, but list off a number of areas that they need to improve on.
The team acknowledged how valuable the feedback was, even mentioning that during the beta they made live changes based on what the player base was saying.
However, they still have a number of issues they need to address before the game is expected to be officially released in November.
Squad play and Matchmaking – Several changes are already in place and additional improvements will be made to secure the best possible launch experience.
Attrition – Scarcity of ammo and health is something we want to get just right, and the Open Beta gave us a lot of info on how to balance it.
Visibility – Distance haze, lighting, general contrast and other visibility aspects are being tinkered with, letting you see your enemies better in the world.
Death Experience – We’re adjusting bleed out and spawn times to make your virtual deaths as good as virtual deaths can be.
Vehicles – Damage states, movement, and weaponry of tanks and other vehicles are being tweaked.
TTK and TTD – We’re adjusting automatic weapons to make the Time to Kill and Time to Death as fair and fun as possible.
Progression and Customization – We’re working on making the user journey one that’s smooth and personal.
Chat Profanity Filter on PC – We are evaluating the Open Beta feedback and are making many adjustments for launch.
The last two issues have caused the most controversy since Battlefield V released their official trailer at E3.
Progression and Customization
The “Customization” aspect of the game created a huge uproar in the community. Fans pointed out that the game looked more like a Fortnite rip off than an authentic Battlefield game. The controversy came to a head when former Chief Creative Officer Patrick Soderlund told fans to basically not buy the game. He specifically tried to appeal to players’ emotions by using his own daughter, who allegedly stated she couldn’t play female characters like in other games.
Even the main Battlefield sub-Reddit began censoring users over the discussion. They would eventually create a Mega Thread to address the controversy.
EA/DICE held to their guns throughout the summer until analyst Doug Creutz reported that Battlefield V’s presales were lagging behind much of their competition. The main point of focus for the analysis was the crowded October release schedule which included Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and Red Dead Redemption 2. However, it’s quite possible Soderlund’s insults towards fans and consumers might have also impacted presales.
Shortly after this analysis was released, EA/DICE postponed the release of Battlefield V for a month. Soderlund also departed the company. Developers would also begin addressing player feedback in a reasonable manner noting they would begin making changes in favor of authenticity.
Chat Profanity Filter on PC
Finally, this is another more recent concern brought up by open beta players. According to a Battlefield V developer, the AI filter wasn’t functioning correctly. A number of players reported phrases like “white man,” “Nazi,” different combinations of “DLC” were being censored. However, if you put in other ethnicities they were not censored.
As pointed out by One Angry Gamer, the problem wasn’t isolated to the chat filter. It also affected the EA origin account logins.
It seems that the developers are attempting to save some face while addressing some of the more controversial issues that have so far hindered the early success Battlefield V could have benefited from. But if they again decide to attack fans instead of addressing issues, then DICE might find itself without custumers willing to spend their hard-earned dollars.
At the end of the statement, EA/DICE thanked fans for their involvement and feedback during the open beta. What do you think of the planned changes EA/DICE plans to make for Battlefield V? Do you plan on picking up Battlefield V?
[easyazon_link identifier=”B07DMGBZ39″ locale=”US” tag=”boundingintocomics-20″]Battlefield V[/easyazon_link] will be available on PC, X-Box One, and PS4 on November 20th.