According to reports from a reputable insider, Battlefield 2042 sold over 4.2 million units during its first week of sale, making it the second-best launch in franchise history. Such supposed success comes in spite of Battlefield 2042's messy launch, which many would describe as somewhat disastrous given the myriad bugs and glitches plaguing the experience across all platforms.

This entry in Electronic Arts' long-running FPS brand had long been touted by the publisher as the most ambitious installment to date, specifically in terms of scope. That much seems evident in the large maps and 128-player matches available to users on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S platforms. However, developer DICE's changes to the formula introduced a fair few controversial elements as well, particularly with regards to the replacement of Battlefield's traditional Class system with Specialists roles. Battlefield 2042's lack of a story campaign also remains a point of contention in some corners of the community, yet reported sales figures tell a different tale entirely.

Related: Battlefield 2042's Steam Player Count Is Lower Than Farming Simulator 22

As noted by GamingBolt, insider Tom Henderson shared first-week sales for Battlefield 2042 that reportedly come from internal sources. Henderson claims the new shooter managed to move an impressive 4.23 million units within its first week on the market, despite generally poor reception. This earns the 2042-set adventure a spot as the second-best launch in Battlefield history, topped only by 2011's well-received Battlefield 3, which sold 4.68 million copies during week one. Another fan-favorite, the 2016 outing Battlefield 1, comes in at third on the list with 3.46 million units sold in its initial seven days of availability. Check out the full breakdown from Henderson in the tweet linked below:

Such a revelation may come as a shock to some, considering the discourse surrounding Battlefield 2042 and its low player count on Steam. Not long after release, the futuristic shooter appeared on Steam's top 100 worst-reviewed games of all time. It seems to have lost its luster for the user base in terms of hours played, too. At the time of writing, Battlefield 2042's player count on Steam has dropped a whopping 70 percent since launch, with less than 30,000 concurrent players logged on compared to its peak of 105,000 two weeks ago.

The figure shared by Henderson suggests that millions were willing to join the fun early on. Therefore, even if the multiplayer-only experience isn't retaining its audience on Steam, other PC platforms and consoles could be keeping things afloat.

Next: Battlefield 2042 Patch Notes Are Massive, But Ignore Performance Issues

Battlefield 2042 is out now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

Source: Tom Henderson/Twitter via GamingBolt