Why Battlefield Labs' Controversial Changes Could Actually…

A huge amount of attention is now being placed on the next entry to the popular Battlefield franchise, with it seeming like a real possibility that 2025 could see the release of the series' next project. With close to four years having passed since Battlefield 2042, a lot of pressure already surrounds the next major step for the IP, with this high-pressure task being echoed in the extensive playtesting that DICE is already carrying out for the upcoming release.

Fans have already seen some fascinating glimpses of the next Battlefield game thanks to Battlefield Labs, a widespread playtesting program that is aiming to carry out the most thorough and expansive playtesting that the franchise has ever seen. This playtesting period, in theory, will put fans at the center of the major creative decisions of the next Battlefield game, with this seeming more important than ever following the infamously controversial launch of 2042. Some major changes have already caused a stir within the Battlefield community, and DICE should use the more relaxed pre-release environment of Battlefield Labs to get any potentially controversial changes tested and out of the way before it is too late.

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By John Bonelli

Battlefield Labs Makes it Now or Never For More Experimental Changes

Battlefield Labs is officially described as a "community development collaboration" which places an unprecedented amount of direct involvement into the heart of the franchise's fans. While Labs' earliest playtesting was conducted through North American and European playerbases, this is only set to expand to other regions as playtesting ramps up even closer to the game's eventual release.

At its peak, Labs is reportedly aiming to host tens of thousands of Battlefield playtesters from around the world, with players of all experience levels being able to give feedback across Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. Of course, the main purpose of Battlefield Labs is to get direct community feedback on core mechanics, as well as a range of balancing propositions across things like weapons, vehicles, and gadgets.

Not only is this a great way to give a more powerful voice to the community itself, but the shortcomings of Battlefield 2042's launch seem to have necessitated some form of community feedback system. 2042's infamous lack of things like scoreboards and the traditional four-class system, alongside the CoD-like changes made to player operators, caused a lot of division around the time of its release, and Labs is the perfect way to avoid similar backlash spilling over into the next Battlefield's final product. DICE spent months after Battlefield 2042's launch adding things players wanted and altering things they didn't, but thanks to Labs, any bold features can be made the best they can be ahead of the game's actual release. From there, time can be spent adding fresh content and making balancing changes, allowing the game to thrive long-term.

Battlefield 2042 regained a strong playerbase thanks to extensive work through its post-launch seasons, but its disastrous launch left a reputation that was extremely hard for DICE to shake off.

The Recent Class-Locked Weapons Announcement is What Battlefield Labs Was Made For

DICE recently announced that there will be no class-locked weapons for the next Battlefield, as things stand, with this being a massive deviation from the usual clear split between things like assault rifles, submachine guns, LMGs, and sniper rifles across other BF games. The distinct weapon categories of Battlefield's classes have been integral to class identity and overall balancing in the past, making this announcement an extremely divisive one, to say the least.

While this news has understandably disappointed many fans, the next wave of Battlefield Labs playtesting will hopefully allow for direct fan feedback about such a controversial change, for better or worse. This kind of ambitious yet divisive change to Battlefield's usual identity is the kind of thing that Battlefield Labs was made for, with it ultimately being much more sensible for such a change to be tested and ironed out now as opposed to during the game's full launch. The experimental nature of Battlefield Labs will inevitably lead to frustrating changes alongside exciting ones, and DICE is seemingly making the most of this window of opportunity before a concrete final identity needs to take shape.

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