Summary
With the post-launch support forBattlefield 2042coming to an end, it is fair to say that the title’s legacy is one of many ups and downs. While the game undoubtedly did well to rebuild its reputation through consistent updates over the years, the massive high-profile controversies that it faced closer to its release have been hard to fully shake off.
It was clear from the outset thatBattlefield 2042was going to be very different from the titles that came before it, with its semi-futuristic setting and complete lack of a single-player campaign being quite unique compared to the wider franchise. Even the way the game chose to handle its multiplayer was quite controversial for many reasons, with things like a lack of in-game scoreboards, traditional class systems, and the introduction ofCall of Duty-style operators catching a lot of negative attention closer to2042’s release. While many of these criticisms were eventually rectified by DICE,2042’s in-game operators remain contentious, though the company did miss an easy way to tie more of these specialists to past characters from fan-favorite releases likeBad Company.
TheBattlefieldfranchise has always appealed to fans through its grounded and more realistic naturecompared to other leading FPS franchises, with the IP having used this to help itself contend withCall of Dutyover the years. The large-scale warfare of the likes ofBattlefield 3and4maintained immersion through their clear factions with contrasting identities, and this is something that was all but lost in2042.
As part of a controversial shake-up of the traditionalBattlefieldfour class system,2042decided to introduce specialist operatorsthat players could choose from in-game, each coming with unique perks and equipment. With the specialist selection being the same for both teams within a match, some players were quick to note how the concept of identical hero shooter-style soldiers fighting each other went against the history ofBattlefieldas a franchise.
This immediately put the concept of specialist operators and the multiplayer narrative of2042on the back-foot, with some fans being much less receptive to the new era that the release was attempting to usher in for the IP. This method of delivering a story is worlds removed from thecharacter-driven single-player narratives of past releases like theBad Companysub-franchise, and figures from these games could have been brought back for2042to appeal to older fans.
The central characters of theBad Companygamesare arguably the most memorable across the entire franchise, with the likes of Haggard and Redford being perfect potential characters for2042specialists. While the age ranges of these characters might not match-up to a 2042 setting, the title did make a call-back toBattlefield 4by introducing Irish as a playable specialist, with Irish being 60 years old in2042.
Call of Dutyhas introduced non-canon Operators from classic games on several occasions, withFrank Woodsusable in a modern setting and Captain Price being usable in the Cold War era.Battlefield 2042could have done the same, explicitly stating that characters like Haggard were made playable purely for fun and had no impact on the game’s story.
Irish shows that DICE was receptive to the idea of reintroducing older franchise characters as2042specialists, but sadly none of theBad Companyfaces were given a return. When consideringthe long-lasting impact thatBad Company’s story had on the franchise, and the lack of narrative present within2042, this seems like a sorely missed opportunity on DICE’s behalf. Regardless of how this might have aided2042’s bold new mechanics, fans ofBad Companydeserve some fresh content after 14 years of downtime, and this sadly might not happen for even longer now that2042has ended its post-launch support.
