EA and DICE have announced that they are ending support for Battlefield V after this summer's upcoming content update. Battlefield V, perceived as a spiritual continuation on the graphically impressive yet somewhat barebones Battlefield I, was met with scandal after scandal both before and during launch. It has never found its footing and now, just over a year and a half after launch, is left to die.
On May 23rd, 2018, the first reveal trailer for Battlefield V was released. Immediately, fans and critics alike were at the game's throat. Gone were the days of a more authentic experience, and now, surprisingly, DICE had begun to take Battlefield in a more arcade-like direction. At least, at a glance. The grittiness wasn't as present as the stylized, no-cut presentation. Some users levied understandable criticisms, wanting their series to remain a semi-authentic portrayal of historical conflicts. Others used the already mounting dislike of Battlefield to criticize the title unjustly, with certain groups of players admonishing the developers with misogyny and racism. Battlefield V became contentious over half a year prior to its release, and the ad cycle leading up to its launch was marred by executives course-correcting the game and a bunch of promises that weren't going to be kept.
As the release neared, another trailer was released. This one featured a more nostalgic tone that many long-time fans have become accustomed to, and the developer DICE, was capable of salvaging some goodwill from the spurned fanbase. However, this goodwill was short-lived, as the game launched in an incomplete state. Battlefield games have become somewhat known for their rough launches, considering it took DICE over a year to fix all the server bugs with Battlefield 4's tumultuous release. Unlike Battlefield 4, Battlefield V didn't launch with a unique, expansive backbone to its playstyle. For many, it felt like a re-skin of Battlefield I that came a year prior, and the amount of content it boasted was, at best, mediocre.
The map roster was small, less than any prior Battlefield game, and their content road map quickly stalled. This was amidst controversial balancing issues that fundamentally restructured the TTK (Time-To-Kill) of almost every single weapon in the game, forcing players to relearn their favorite guns all over again. This utterly baffling and game-altering change to the TTK happens again in the future, once again changing the way the game is played for the people still playing. All of this was on top of an impressive list of bugs that every facet of the game. From footstep audio being inconsistent (at best) to skin prices being high to players not earning currency fast enough to consistent game crashes to the plague of loot boxes that riddled the store. Everything about the game seemed as though it was destined to be seen as yet another cash-grab funded by EA and released with barely enough features to qualify as a full-priced game.
The game itself still featured a promising core - solid shooting and a neat revamp of various systems. It added the ability to build fortifications in large maps to help fend off attackers as well as giving everyone the ability to revive within the squad they are in. There was also an increase in customization with mini skill trees that allow soldiers to tweak their class's gameplay. The moment-to-moment play, if working, worked well enough to still warrant the price tag. Initially, anyway, as the promised content stoked the excitement of the players and showcased all the unique features this game could have. Unfortunately, this too was under-delivered.
Players were promised a Battle Royale, something that most other first-person shooters were cashing in on (after the success of Call of Duty's first attempt, Blackout). After a short delay, Battlefield V's Battle Royale, titled "Firestorm", finally released in late March of 2019; it promptly died. This was mainly due to the game itself struggling to retain its player base, and asking curious users to pay full-price for a half-baked Battle Royale when so many were either free or attached to superior products. The long queue times and bugs in the server filter disincentivized new players as well. The gameplay itself was rife with bugs, such as vaulting failing to work constantly and the terrain glitching users in various, unexpected ways. The experience was subpar compared to established battle royales - which also supported larger player counts than Battlefield, taking away one key thing Battlefield games used to offer that other shooters didn't.
The same problems, but worse, appeared in Battlefield V's also delayed "Combined Arms" co-op mode which failed to represent what DICE developers showed us before the game launched. A mission generator, with fresh and narrative-driven content was promised, but none of that was delivered to players.
The last nail in the coffin was 2019's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, featuring a brand new engine that offers a competitive kind of authenticity Battlefield was once known for bringing. On top of that, there is a fuller, longer Campaign, and a more bug-free experience, more co-op options, weapons, customization, modes, etc.. Modern Warfare also offered a reworked Ground War mode that mimics some of the larger battles in Battlefield V (without the beloved destruction). Most players fled to Call of Duty, declaring it the unanimous winner of the decade-long battle between both series. For that year, anyway. While Call of Duty released a competing Battle Royale, Warzone, Activision made the intelligent decision to make it free. At this point, Battlefield V's failed Battle Royale had long-since died and DICE had focused back on the regular multiplayer. That focus was short-lived.
Just a year later, many players mourn the death of Battlefield V's promising, yet underwhelming content and while there are still thousands of dedicated fans playing, the series is but a shell of its former self. Many have called for DICE to take extra time on the next game, saying that this is their last chance at retaining the inspired legacy of the Battlefield franchise. As it stands, Battlefield V yet another title that has succumbed to EA's unrealistic release schedule and necessity for underdeveloped, rushed games. Just like Star Wars: Battlefront 2. So it's no surprise that both games are having future updates and support ended as DICE focuses on a new Battlefield game for 2021.
Good luck.
Battlefield V is available for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.