Well, October is a little less cramped than it was before. EA announced it is pushing back the release of Battlefield V from October 19 to November 20. Why? DICE says it’s “to make some meaningful improvements to the core gameplay experience.” Maybe they’ll also figure out exactly what Battlefield V will launch with. The marketing and communication have been abysmal.
Which is a shame. Battlefield V is a hell of a lot of fun to play. EA just can’t seem to figure out how to show it. The good news is next week’s open beta isn’t affected by the delay. Jump in for yourself and see what Battlefield V’s multiplayer is all about.
DICE sounds confident despite the delay. “We believe we have one of the best Battlefield games ever on our hands,” says General Manager Oskar Gabrielson. “A game that will deliver on an emotional journey through the return of unseen single player War Stories, a deep multiplayer experience, Battle Royale, along with our new live service, Tides of War – a journey across multiple theaters of WW2 and designed to keep our community together.”
What DICE needs is clear communication. Take an example from games like Forza Horizon 4 and start pumping out regular livestreams showing the content coming at launch. Show us new maps. Show us a story mission. Show us the Battle Royale. Show us the game.
The delay is a good move. It gives them time to maybe get already announced features (like dragging bodies and vehicle customization) ready for launch. More importantly, it gives Battlefield V room to breathe. The original October 19 date was sandwiched between Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and Red Dead Redemption 2. Two games guaranteed to sell an epic ton of copies.
I know Battlefield has its fanbase, but it was going to be tough marketing and selling Battlefield V between those two games. November 20 gives them room for more development time, more marketing, and more potential sales.
Bottom line, spend this extra month and show people why you think Battlefield V is “one of the best Battlefield games ever.”