Battlefield 2042: DICE Explains Beta Build Process; Hostility Mentioned as Part of Why Devs Don’t Interact More

With the Battlefield 2042 beta now officially in the hands of everyone, many are wondering why, with the game being so close to release, has this many bugs. While DICE has confirmed that the beta build is already a “few months old,” there’s more to it than just the studio giving gamers everywhere the latest game build. Curious why that’s the case? Well, as it turns out, there is a very good reason for this that not only pertains to DICE, but as a industry as a whole and how betas/demos are created.

Taking to Reddit, DICE Producer Ben Walke has shared details on how beta builds are handled, how they are separate from the retail launch version and more.

This is a super simplistic version, and doesn’t do justice to the work involved.

It’s the nature of software development. We work in branches, so while we have our launch day branch any spin-offs (betas, demo, E3, gamescom etc) all get created from it.

The beta was taken a few months ago from our main build, and from there you then go into hardening mode. This is where you focus on bugs, stability and no further work should get checked in. With each check-in, comes the risk of new issues coming up (as is the case with Software Development). We’re making so many changes to the build so you have to make a call between locking the build or stopping active development.

We don’t want to stop development of our launch build, so you have to ‘cap’ the branched build (in this case the beta) at a specific time.

This won’t be unique to us, this is how the industry will operate as a whole.

The same thing will happen to release builds the closer a studio gets to launch, it gets locked down and then the hardening process can begin.

Worth noting as well that with dates changing, it just makes the build older etc

Being on the subject of the Battlefield 2042 beta, on a separate Reddit discussion, Walke also took the time to address how players are giving feedback, responding to some of the criticism concerning Battlefield 2042 UI and noting the hostility being a reason why devs don’t interact more with their fanbase.

Day 1 of the beta and we’re already in the territory of people losing their jobs. Have you ever asked yourself why you don’t have more devs interacting with players across the industry?

There’s a valid way to give feedback, I don’t think anyone on the team is against receiving it when it’s done in a constructive way. But the amount of personal attacks I’ve seen in just a few hours since it went live is disappointing.

Everyone that contributes to our UI are fantastic people, super colleagues and talented developers.

As we mentioned before in our Crystal Dynamics harassment story regarding Marvel’s Avengers, it is never okay to attack a developer or issue threats, even if you are not happy about the decisions made. We as a community have the right to criticize, however that does not make it acceptable to use toxic behavior.

For more on the Battlefield 2042 beta, we wrote an extensive article on what we want changed, and what we think worked in our playtest.

Battlefield 2042 is set for release this November 19 on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

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Jerome Perry
2 years ago

Should’ve kept the lean mechanic id honestly put it back in the game and take the weapon upgrades on the fly out

High
Reply to  Jerome Perry
2 years ago

Agreed, they took everything away that I loved about Battlefield and made it a lame Warzone clone.

dvrkstvr
Reply to  Jerome Perry
2 years ago

It could be in game right now. If there weren’t all the haters that harass the devs we could probably get the information to them easier and get feedback faster.

Instead of just stating what you want, also add why you want it and what benefit or negatives it could bring.

Constructive criticism isn’t just “this bad do this”. It begins with how you think about what you want and how you convey that information.

Stavr
2 years ago

Oh, right, “toxic behavior” mantra. It’s not ok to have emotional reaction over product, you purchase. It’s not ok to feel stripped, frauded by AAA-companies. You must stay “constructive”, like you own something to company, that sell you crap for years, feeding on branding.

But converting gaming industry to gambling without good entertaining products, but with hundreds of DLCs, lootboxes, season passes etc. – it’s totally ok, ignore it, people, don’t be toxic against devs, involved in this dirty business. Right?

Dennis
Reply to  Stavr
2 years ago

Yes, correct. Wrong done to you (and that’s waaay questionable in this case) does not give you a free pass on wronging them in return. In cases of the law outside self defense, that’s what the court is for. In inter-personal cases (such as this), absolutely not. Feeling attacked does not give you some automatic pass on being evil toward people. And threatening people (with loss of jobs and life, etc.) is certainly evil.

Stavr
Reply to  Dennis
2 years ago

First of all, me personally not really care about BF much. Yes, I planned to purchase game after perfect marketing video. Than played open beta ~ 8h with a friend, uninstalled it and removed from wishlist. But in this case I’m not a fan to be motivated for arguing with devs.

On the other hand, people HAVE right to be emotional about what they care about. Smart managers let people talk (otherwise, they can find herself willing to act instead, this can be more harmful). Modern companies even have CMs and client services, that know how to interact with angry people, reduce they’r frustration and collect aggregated feedback for improve product/service.

If you are dev, you must not put herself in front line, it’s not your job. You must code/model/make UI.

dvrkstvr
Reply to  Stavr
2 years ago

The thing is that frustrated people find the devs and harass them instead of just complaining to the client services.

Today it’s not just comments on a “news article”.

It’s full on blackmailing and death threats.

That’s why DICE and EA are fed up and can’t make the game we want. They can’t hear what the gamers say because the gamers are the quiet ones.

Stavr
Reply to  dvrkstvr
2 years ago

> frustrated people find the devs and harass them instead of just complaining to the client services

Oh, wow!~

You got my attention now. Try to “find” me and do… whatever you want, I guess?.. Because I strongly doubt, they got threats in LinkedIn private messages.

That’s the thing with modern “open to everything” (coz “we so cool!”, until they don’t) trends. For being threatened online, you must forget the line between public job relationship, half-public in-team relationship and private friends-and-family relationship.

Everyone public where they work and how to contact them, open they private messages in FB/Twitter etc, connect their cell phone and then make OH, THEY FOUND ME surprised face.

Idiocy and non-existent cybersecurity education not the reason to issue statements about “we not gonna talk to community, because don’t give a s…coin for they reasoning. Also some of them toxic for no reason, so we scared”

To me, this reasoning sounds like:

“Dady, give this dog good kick!”

“Why?”

“Some other doge bite me 2 years ago!”

dvrkstvr
Reply to  Stavr
2 years ago

So you justify harassment and death threats because they aren’t “secure enough”?

Damn you really should get a job at Blizzard.

You are the reason companies aren’t talking to their fan base anymore.

Stavr
Reply to  dvrkstvr
2 years ago

> So you justify harassment and death threats because they aren’t “secure enough”?

No, I don’t. Reread.

> You are the reason companies aren’t talking to their fan base anymore.

The only reason they do it – because they can. And will still get good sales (thanks to good paid reviews, over-hyped streamers etc.).

Small companies, who can’t afford dirty “21 century” marketing methodology, still talk to everyone, getting death threats… But surprisingly, no one died from threats, you know?

Also, the bigger companies is, the more real threats become (because there actually bad people exists) and it is factor, that must be considered and worked on accordingly. By tightening security (both real and cyber). Not by ignoring fanbase (ignore =/= defence, like all post-covid civilization must know by now).

dvrkstvr
Reply to  Stavr
2 years ago

I don’t think you know what constructive criticism or toxic behavior means.

Brent
2 years ago

Have you ever asked yourself why the community gives you feedback in the manner it’s given?

Why don’t you try interacting with the community….instead of leaving us all to feel ghosted after getting a trash build to play for 2-3 days (6 if you were suckered into a preorder).

After we hash out the hostility, we can hash out how your “branch” from retail was hacked within hours of release.

High
Reply to  Brent
2 years ago

Yea maybe if they talked with the fans instead of hiding everything until they’re close to release they might actually make a decent game but they don’t give a damn about the community, they just want to rip us all off squeezing out as much money as they can with cosmetics and DLC. Sorry but bug companies and the devs deserve the hostility since they treat us like dirt.

dvrkstvr
Reply to  High
2 years ago

They tried talking but all they got was hate and harassment so they stopped.

YOU are the reason the games are what they are. Complain about everyone hating not the company which tried.

j
j
Reply to  dvrkstvr
2 years ago

its the other way around, actually. they stopped communicating, so some people (who obviously went too far) took it personally. when they broke radio silence, they announced the delay, and people were generally supportive, as tweeted by one of their community managers. They are so quick to blame the community for their decisions, remember them calling the fans ‘uneducated’ and ‘either accept our decision or dont buy the game, im fine with either or’ with battlefield v.

dvrkstvr
Reply to  Brent
2 years ago

Cheating and hacking is a tug of war. You can’t make a perfect solution that works on everything.

It’s like chess, you can’t win without the other one making a move.

High
2 years ago

I didn’t have any trouble with bugs during the beta at all, it’s the shitty gameplay and the specialists that made me refund my pre-order. Alo of us don’t care about bugs they’re pretty much inevitable. Us fans are upset that you took our favorite game and completely ruined it.

High
2 years ago

We aren’t mad about bugs we are mad that they made a game that is total garbage.

Gerhard
Reply to  High
2 years ago

Sit down . You are on drugs and dont wtf you talking about. Game will be fine

High
Reply to  Gerhard
2 years ago

Nah I’m just not some boot licker like you that bends over for every game company.

dvrkstvr
Reply to  High
2 years ago

With this statement no one can do anything about it.

That’s what DICE means about constructive criticism.

If you think the game is garbage then exactly explain why and give detailed examples on what they could do better.

If you can’t do it then don’t buy the game or just dislike their trailer or something instead of insulting.

Christian
Reply to  dvrkstvr
2 years ago

Clearly your moral high ground is supremely elevated. If someone wants to call something trash than they have every right to. And you have a right to criticize the criticism. But you sitting here “attacking” someone’s choice of words is just as “toxic” as the soyboy from douche telling people to be quiet if they have anything other than constructive criticism. You don’t get to tell people how to talk mao.

Stavr
Reply to  dvrkstvr
2 years ago

> That’s what DICE means about constructive criticism.

You aware, that “constructive criticism” is another big-companies BS, did you?

One thing, if you make real “beta”, where you deliver latest (let’s pretend, someone can believe in “month-old build” lie) build and build all the testing around feedback forms, task-groups and actual gameplay aspects validation sessions.

And totally other case when you (for years!) making free demo for hyping-up marketing purpose only, calling this demo “BETA”.

What “constructive” talk you made with devs? Can you show me your own experience? Feedback forms? Open chat dialog? List of known issues and upcoming changes? Show me any sign of “feedback received and processed” from EA.

High
Reply to  dvrkstvr
2 years ago

They made my favorite series into a COD clone, they took away features that made Battlefield good while adding 80 year old grandmas to play as. The entire game is garbage and there is literally not one single good thing about it. Instead of making their own game they copied another game so they can charge people for all these retarded specialists that ruin the game. If you’re gonna add specialists at least make them look decent they look goofy and retarded as hell.

ɪʀᴇᴡᴏʟғᴍᴀɴ
Reply to  High
2 years ago

I wouldn’t call it garbage.

LMN2010
2 years ago

…but insulting customers at DICE parties while bold face lying about your products is perfectly acceptable. Right?

When customers continually give constructive feedback to the devs only for it to be ignored while they make the game worse and fail to deliver on anything promised in a timely fashion is A-OK!

2042 isn’t that great across every benchmark and that the only real thing they’ve improved is how long it takes to leave a game.

The fact they are saying don’t worry it’s an old build when every other Battlefield has released at retail in similar states isn’t reassuring. The control system is janky, the game play is clunky and once again more CoD than BF.

Considering they delayed the game why was such an old build used? Granted you’ll never get the latest build but considering the delay, the fact the beta is a marketing move to present your product, a supposed benefit of pre-ordering, and that they have fixed “most” of the issues why wouldn’t you put your best foot forward?

They couldn’t even get helicopters and their counters right, even though they’ve been using the same mechanic and vehicles since Battlefield 2.

If the UI guys are so talented why is the UI just a terrible mess?

I pre-ordered the last one, and all the others before that. Never again. I’d rather play Enlisted for free it is far more immersive than BFs latest iteration and for modern warfare I’ll stick with BF4.

dvrkstvr
2 years ago

Everyone is acting like DICE and EA is owing them something and acts in an irrational and emotional manner instead of giving constructive criticism and stating worries. There is no benefit in harassing someone.

You don’t need to preorder. You don’t need to play the game. You actively CHOOSE to play the game.

Stavr
Reply to  dvrkstvr
2 years ago

You forget something. The EA (A/B, Ubi etc) not fluffy friendly “neighbor” company, they business sharks. That literally ATE some other companies, consumed they whole IPs and throwed away good talented devs.

So, in some perspective, EA actually owe some communities good products for some IPs (SW The Old Republic from Bioware, as example). Good products, that will newer gonna exist now, because its “not profitable enough” for top-management.

dvrkstvr
Reply to  Stavr
2 years ago

If it’s not profitable, companies won’t make it.

Do you complain to Valve that they don’t make a new Portal? It would sell.

Do you complain that there will be no new Splinter Cell?

Do you complain that there will be no new Metal Gear?

You are just a biased piece of s###

Go stick your opinion up there where no sun will ever shine into.

Anon
Reply to  dvrkstvr
2 years ago

If Valve bought the IP from anothwr company and then ruined the game yeah. I would complain because the previous company knew their audience. And like you said, if they suddenly made a series like Metal Gear non profitable they may never make another one because they ruined it. Like what are you even talking about

Peter Sørensen
Reply to  Anon
2 years ago

For any company to buy an IP, another company must be selling one of theirs… If that company knows its audience so well, why are they selling?

Maybe what they’re doing is simply not financially viable. Or the offer was too good to ignore.

No one is forcing anyone to sell, unless they’re in financial trouble.

Blame the owner for selling!

There are many reasons for buying an IP, it could simply be too alike ones own plans. If that’s the case you may be buying the IP to avoid any conflicts between the games.

ɪʀᴇᴡᴏʟғᴍᴀɴ
Reply to  dvrkstvr
2 years ago

Everyone has there own opinion. No need to be toxic. This is exactly what the article was talking about.

jjkin
Reply to  dvrkstvr
2 years ago

Amazed me in BF4 that players with 1,000 hrs of game play complained about things that were part of the game day one.

Tim
Tim
2 years ago

What’s the purpose of giving any feedback at all if I’m playing an outdated buggy build and all the problems have supposedly already been resolved. I feel for the individual devs who No doubtedly worked their fingers to the bone. I’m upset with the higher ups who have made poor decisions and constantly try to pull wool over mine and my fellow gamers’ eyes. And then make us feel sorry for the individual developers as a defense mechanism. I do feel sorry for them. But they arnt the problem. And this feeble defense mechanism is just another attempt at pulling wool.

Memphis Last Pharoah
2 years ago

I actually like the beta but to see hackers and cronus zen users ruin the game kind of worry me about actually buying this game now. This is the same reason why i stop playing bfv and call of duty. The anti cheat system has to work or people will not buy it.

jjkin
Reply to  Memphis Last Pharoah
2 years ago

Problem is anti cheat is always reactive. People have to cheat to figure out how to stop it.

keef_on
2 years ago

Complaining because people are toxic? LOL didbyoubjustvfind the internet or something..grow a backbone and stop worrying about random trolls that are looking for you to respond like you did.

Hoof
2 years ago

Although I’m not a hardcore BF fan, I thought bf4/5 was better and have chosen not to buy this game for the following reasons;

* Very little Poi’s and just an overal boring map design (1 building for 160 players to fight over & with the teaser trailer, it seems like that on other maps)

* No close combat fights to utilise the improved movement

* Fast ttk

* Operators aren’t clear to see with their roles and everyone chooses the same

* The attachment change is a bit OP

* The tornado will get annoying after a day of having it

* Hacks are already purchasable

* No anti-cheat

* The spawns just didn’t feel right

* Difficult to run players over in vehicles

* AI bots need to be removed

* The robot dog can laser people for miles away

* Glitches with invisible vehicles and players stuck on map elements

* slow and not as energetic battles as I was expecting give the map is bigger (maybe that’s the issue)

* shotguns were deleting players from too far of a distance

* bf comments in this article don’t give me hope they will update issues and bring new content like what happened to the previous titles

These are only a few things I picked up on in the couple of hours of playing before uninstalling but I will save my £60-100

Daniele
Reply to  Hoof
2 years ago

Almost all of the things you have mentioned have probably already been addressed. You’re basing you’re whole review of the game on one game mode and map which is just insane for a game of this size.

Odot_YoloSwagg
Reply to  Hoof
2 years ago

This has the highest ttk of any BF, if you’re bad just say that.

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