While it’s no secret that Battlefield 2042 had a rough launch, developer DICE is holding out. For now, only Battlefield 2042 will be running and no other projects, such as games like Mirror’s Edge.
“We’re just focusing on Battlefield 2042,” Coutaz said. GI.Biz. “There’s no time for anything else and that’s what we want to do. In three years, we want to be the first-person shooter powerhouse DICE deserves to be, and that’s what we’re aiming for.”
DICE is best known for the Battlefield series, but since being acquired by EA in 2006, it has occasionally branched out. Alongside Mirror’s Edge, his previous ventures also include Medal of Honor (2010), the rebooted Star Wars Battlefront series, Mirror’s Edge, and its less well-received sequel, Mirror’s Edge Catalyst. While Coutaz doesn’t deny that the studio will return for other projects in the future, we shouldn’t expect anything anytime soon.
Reason for reflection
Coutaz finds himself in an awkward position, having joined last December following the release of Battlefield 2042, and now being responsible for getting the game back on track. Still, this interview shows she’s taking on a clear responsibility, reflecting on the post-launch mood at DICE.
“The release of Battlefield 2042 was not what we expected,” explains Coutaz. “Our players and community were disappointed, but so was our development team.” Admitting that giving up the game was never an option, DICE sought help from other EA studios to assess what went wrong and how to fix it.
“This analysis took us a few months and now we are correcting it,” continues Coutaz. “We are reorganizing, restructuring, improving processes, adapting them to be able to make these monstrous games that we are doing in co-development… and also working on the hybrid model.”
She admits that “it’s far from perfect and we still have a lot to learn”, but overall, Coutaz paints a more optimistic picture for the game’s future. With the previously delayed release of the first season of Battlefield 2042 two weeks ago, perhaps things will finally change for DICE’s latest effort.
