Battlefield 2042 PS5 PS4

The Battlefield 2042 open beta has come to an end, and it's probably fair to say the common consensus isn't exactly glowing. DICE's big, multiplayer-focused FPS has been hotly anticipated since it was unveiled earlier in the year, but the beta test has divided opinion. It seems that the (rather loud) complaints have reached the studio, as a survey has been emailed out to beta participants, asking for feedback on some of the game's more heavily criticised aspects.

One of the biggest points of contention is the game's Specialist characters, which replace the regular Class system, which has been part of the series since the start. The beta featured four Specialists with fully customisable loadouts, meaning that any character could fill any role. Classes were always less flexible by comparison, giving players a more defined set of weapons and abilities. Fans are arguing that the way Specialists currently work dilutes the idea of teamwork, because the lack of restrictions on loadouts means people are going into games with no clear role. Another, simpler point is that, because there are just four Specialists, all the 128 players look the same, and this has led to confusion as to who's friendly and who's the enemy.

The Specialists system has been directly brought up in this email survey, with DICE asking players whether it's better than the Class system, as well as how easy it is to tell friend from foe and whether their abilities are balanced. The survey also addresses other common complaints, such as objectives not being clear, the amount of time spent actually in combat with others, and more.

This questionnaire is obviously coming very late in the day, as Battlefield 2042 is only a few weeks away from launch. If DICE does choose to make any changes based on the feedback, it'll emerge later down the line. It's hard to imagine the Specialists being swapped out for the more traditional Classes, but if that was to happen, it's not exactly a straightforward thing to implement. It's going to be interesting to see what the reception is like when the game lands on 19th November — we can hope that the launch version will be vastly improved.

What did you think of the Battlefield 2042 beta? Do you like the Specialist system, or would you prefer to have Classes back? Team up in the comments section below.

[source mp1st.com]