Battlefield V player count surges due to Battlefield 2042 issues

Battlefield V’s player count has eclipsed Battlefield 2042 as the newest title in the Battlefield series continues to falter.

According to data from Steam Charts, the PC player count for Battlefield V is currently higher than that of the series’ latest release, Battlefield 2042. The futuristic shooter’s lackluster launch and seemingly apathetic development prompted the return of many players to the previous title. Fans are citing poor performance, bad servers, and gameplay problems as the main issues with Battlefield 2042. 

According to Steam Chart’s numbers, Battlefield V’s player count had a 24-hour player peak of 23,225 on January 3, 2022. The game’s sequel 2042 had a peak of 14,603 players from across the world on the same day. That’s almost 33% fewer players. This reversal began in late December 2021 and has continued into the new year. There doesn’t appear to be an organized movement to return to the previous title. Fans simply want a fun Battlefield experience that 2042 cannot provide and are making the switch as a result.

It’s important to remember that Battlefield V drew a ton of controversy during its own release. Fans chided the developers for its stylized take on World War II, citing unrealistic characters and poorly-paced gunplay. As time went on, fans grew better accustomed to Battlefield V. Whenever a beloved series gets a new entry, there will always be players who claim that the past installment was better. Rival FPS series Call of Duty is especially famous for this cycle. In this case, Battlefield players are proving their complaints valid by actually turning to an older game in the franchise rather than playing the latest edition.

What’s wrong with Battlefield 2042?

The most common complaints about Battlefield 2042 are about its poor performance and mediocre mechanics. Recent and all-time Steam reviews for the game are mostly negative.

PC reviews often focus on its poor graphics, especially when it comes to its many textures. Metal and plastic surfaces stand out from the surroundings due to their lower resolutions. Character models are prone to bugs, especially ragdoll corpses. Some players claim to experience a bug where they show up as enemies to their teammates, leading to repeatedly getting team-killed.

Another bug prevents players from respawning until the player leaves the server. Even without these issues, the game is noted for running poorly even on high-end systems. It is difficult to achieve a frame rate above 60 in Battlefield 2042. Several series fans have counted their Battlefield V crashes in the dozens within just two months of launch.

Fans have also derided the new mechanics for disrupting the standard flow of matches. The new storm feature looks amazing, but combined with massive maps, it can slow the pace of the game to a crawl. Vehicles are perceived as being less impactful than they were in previous installments, which harms the transportation issue.

2042 Portal was one of the most hyped features when it was announced in early trailers. The idea of custom game modes sounds fun given Battlefield’s sandbox nature, but the strict features and difficulty of use have turned many fans off of the new mode. All of these issues have led to a drop in player count for Battlefield 2042, and a resulting surge in player count for Battlefield V.