For some time now, DICE has been planning an unnamed Battlefield 5 game mode with the aim of offering players a competitive 5v5 gameplay experience. Sadly, the studio has now announced that they are cancelling work on this mode. The announcement was made in most recent “Letters From the Front,” a general update published on the game’s official website. In the update, Senior Producer Ryan McArthur explained why the decision had been made.
Why DICE Cancelled the 5v5 Battlefield 5 Game Mode
According to McArthur, the most recent Battlefield 5 update introduced some problems to the quality of Battlefield 5. Fortunately, a patch is coming soon to address this. However, it seems to have stoked a conversation among both developers and fans as to the direction that the game should be going in. “The added focus on improving the quality of the experience and adding more of the content you want has led us to step back from our original plans to offer a competitive 5v5 mode,” explained McArthur; “Not creating this mode was a tough decision, but vital for us to more quickly reach our bug-crushing and content goals.”
According to the Senior Producer, this doesn’t mean DICE is abandoning the goal of creating a competitive experience. However, instead of purpose-building a new Battlefield 5 game mode, the studio now plans to promote it elsewhere; “We will still pursue building a competitive gaming experience in Battlefield,” continues McArthur; “We know that there’s already an existing competitive scene in our community, and we’re helping build features to support these communities.”
The studio also promises to improve communication between developers and fans. The “Letters From the Front” general updates will become a monthly fixture, for instance; in order to give players more information about what the development teams are working on. This announcement is likely to be disappointing for fans hoping for a competitive scene. However, it sounds as though this was the right decision. After all, DICE needs to ensure that the core gameplay experience is fun and reliable as much as they can if the game is to have a long lifespan. Hopefully, the studio will still manage to support the game’s competitive scene as well.