Battlefield 2042 Devs Cut Ties With Toxic Fans

As it turns out, there's even more bad news for "Battlefield" fans. Among problems with bots, near-constant bugs and a mass exodus of players, communication between DICE and players is breaking down. Lots of things went wrong with "Battlefield 2042," and it seems the game's developers will distance themselves from certain fans that they feel undermine constructive discussion. Specifically, DICE feels that ongoing dialogue on Reddit will only add fuel to the already toxic environment. Interestingly enough, DICE had formerly warned players it would indefinitely shut down the game's subreddit when similar issues surfaced back in January (per PlayStation Lifestyle). Now, it seems the devs haven't gone through with that initial threat exactly, but players won't see DICE responding or answering through the platform anymore.

"Battlefield" community manager Adam Freeman originally spoke up about the developer's visible absence from Reddit, as initially covered by MP1st. Freeman maintained the DICE team checks the "Battlefield 2042" subreddit for legitimate criticism, but the team won't respond there any longer. While the dialogue between player and developer is more or less severed on Reddit, Freeman assured fans they could still get in touch with the team through other platforms like Twitter. As one might expect, this distancing has led to a division between fans. Here's how the "Battlefield 2042" community reacted after DICE acknowledged it isn't responding to the game's subreddit.

While some have been understanding of DICE's decision, subreddits have had a proven history of bringing out some of the most abusive, toxic personalities who can — under the curtain of anonymity — say anything without repercussion. The conversations seldom stay constructive and about the game itself, often transforming into harassment and even threats. 

Via a Tweet, Freeman said, "I'm not engaged on Reddit anymore – there's no value in pretending its a constructive environment." That said, Freeman did offer some reassurance to legitimate Reddit commenters, saying, "That's not to say that hub of community isn't listened to or read, it always is and forever will be. There's wisdom in crowds (even if the crowd itself is toxic at its core)."

Many commenters didn't quite share the same feelings. @Kody_Artichoker responded to the tweet, saying, "Toxic at its core' How appropriate that the community manager so easily dismisses the largest group dedicated to the game." Even those who understand why Freeman and the team don't want to engage with Reddit still think they should. @david_norbee said, "It's rough. The game is playable, but missing key features. ... Ignoring that subreddit only makes them feel more unheard. That makes them more toxic. It's this weird loop." Many players are likely in the same place as @david_norbee, hoping this doesn't make things worse.