Battlefield 2042’s Existing Maps Will be Altered to Address Several Core Issues, DICE Promises

Battlefield 2042’s launch has been a bit of a disaster, and from technical issues to connectivity problems to just flat-out flaws with the game’s core design and its lack of crucial features, it’s far from the state many had hoped it would be in. The fact that there have been multiple delays to crucial updates hasn’t exactly helped matters either, and it’s become clear of late that EA and DICE have recognized that failed launch and the issues in the game.

The road to recovery is obviously going to be a long one, and there’s no telling if the shooter will ever fully get to where it needs to be, but DICE is certainly going to take a shot at making it happen. In a recent, lengthy blog update, the developer acknowledged issues with the game’s maps, identified several core areas that have contributed to those issues, and committed not only to taking that into account for future maps, but also to going back and altering those that already exist in the game.

The key core areas that DICE has identified as being problematic with Battlefield 2042’s maps are traversal, brought about by how big the maps are and how long it takes to get from place to place; intensity, and how chaotic things can get when players are pushing for objectives; line of sight, and how frequently players can get shot at by distant enemies; paths, which are either not properly defined or lean into the aforementioned chaos all too often; and cover, which is sorely lacking in key areas in many maps.

DICE says that improvements to current and future maps will be made based on these parameters- though you shouldn’t expect the game’s current roster of maps to be updated simultaneously. DICE says that these updates will take time, and Kaleidoscope (in both Conquest and Breakthrough) will be the map they focus on first, with fixes for it coming with season one.

“The plans that we’ve outlined to you today will require substantial development time, so we want to be transparent that not all of these proposed changes will be available to you in-game simultaneously across all of our library of maps,” the developer writes.

“We’ve established some healthier behaviors that we have already started to incorporate into new maps that are in development for the game, but we’ll be approaching the updating of old maps with dedicated focus to the maps most needing the changes first.

“Our immediate priority areas of focus is to make improvements to Kaleidoscope on both Conquest, and Breakthrough. We know that we have the most opportunity to improve gameplay on this map, and this is where you can expect to see the first updates to land. We’re currently planning to deliver updates specifically to Kaleidoscope during Season One, and your feedback will help us to not only optimize the changes that we’re making to this map, but best inform us on where our focus on improving maps should move to next.”

As for future maps, DICE says that they’re going to be smaller in size and scope, while player counts across modes and maps are also going to be monitored.

“The biggest action point for ourselves is that bigger maps doesn’t necessarily mean more freedom and playstyles, or fun,” the blog update reads. “So you can expect future maps to be smaller in scale than most of our release maps. This also means we are reviewing a possible reduction in the number of Sectors and total Capture Points per map when playing at 128 players. We’re also thinking about changing the shape of the maps to give them more sense of direction. We feel that going from a common Battlefield standard of a square shaped playspace, to a rectangular shape most commonly used in some of our older entries in the franchise can better incentivize pushing forward versus circling out sideways. We feel that this can help to focus areas of combat, enable you to have more focused awareness, and reduce opportunities for enemy fire to come in from all around you.

“We’ll also review the player counts across modes such as Breakthrough, as well as the types and number of vehicles that can be used on specific maps. For example, does it make sense to have (multiple) Jets on Kaleidoscope if that is our smallest map? It’s important to note here that our focus isn’t to limit your available options, but instead to find the right balance which positively enhances your gameplay experience. Above all, we want you to have fun no matter which map you’re on.”

Season one is expected to kick off in the summer, so you can expect changes to Kaleidoscope to arrive then, though a specific launch date for the same is still unknown.

Battlefield 2042 is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.