Battlefield 2042 maps getting reworked, DICE adding smaller ones

Following a difficult launch, the company is ready to go. Battlefield 2042DICE, the developer of DICE posted a blog update Thursday morning to inform players about key design changes in its shooter. Studio DICE says that it discovered some problems across the board. Battlefield 2042’s maps — although these issues are prominent in some maps more than others — and revealed changes coming in season one to help alleviate the problems, as well as plans to build smaller maps in the future.

DICE says it found issues in traversal and intensity. It also discovered lines of sight that were too far away. Battlefield 2042’s maps. It is too big and the objective areas too scattered. The players take too long to get from their bases to their nearest objectives, which results in lengthy traversal times. “We’ve seen you use terms such as ‘Walking Simulator’ to describe how this feels in-game,” the developer said. “We understand that this isn’t a satisfying experience and agree that there’s too much overall travel time.”

The number of vehicles and players that are tethered to each other can make combat a little too chaotic. DICE said it’s looking to reduce the player count in certain modes, specifically Breakthrough, where it’ll likely land on 64 players. It’s also looking at removing the number of vehicles players have access to.

Some bases or objectives will be relocated by the studio. The prototype layout shows that the sector 1 attack group is much closer to each other than the actual one. Additionally, attackers will begin on the same side as the objective. This will help to concentrate the players and decrease the time it takes for them to walk from the base towards the attack points.

Image by DICE/Electronic Arts

DICE revealed that cover and line-of sight problems can play against each other. DICE also revealed that players often find themselves trapped in vast areas with little defense. This forces much of the game’s combat into longer range battles than the studio intends, so it’s exploring more ways for players to hide themselves as they cross the map. It also hopes to provide clearer pathways for players, making it easier to defend objectives.

DICE said it’s going to make these changes gradually to older maps, starting with what it believes to be the biggest offender: Kaleidoscope. Kaleidoscope is scheduled to be reworked for Breakthrough and Conquest modes. Battlefield 2042’s first season, which won’t hit until later this summer.

DICE announced that the changes would also apply to future maps currently in development. DICE advised that a greater focus will be placed on creating smaller maps than those players initially saw. Battlefield 2042You can support player counts as high as 128 and extra-large maps are available to help you accommodate.

The developer says it’s gathering feedback from players on future pain points to solve for, as well as other maps that are causing serious problems.