How Many Copies Did Battlefield 2042 Sell in Total?
Battlefield 2042 has sold an estimated 7.3 million units worldwide as of February 2023 according to VGC Analysis. This figure is based on first week sales reports and estimated decline rates over 16 months.
While concrete sales data remains unreported by Electronic Arts, this likely lands Battlefield 2042 in the bottom 25% of franchise launches:
| Battlefield Game | Estimated Total Sales |
|---|---|
| Battlefield 3 | 15 million |
| Battlefield 4 | 14 million |
| Battlefield 1 | 25 million |
| Battlefield V | 11 million |
What Factors Led to Battlefield 2042‘s Underperformance?
Based on public reception and EA‘s own admissions, Battlefield 2042 fell short of sales expectations due to:
- Overambitious Scope: Jumping from 64 to 128 players resulted in poor map design, balancing issues, and bugs
- Development Issues: COVID remote work created challenges for collaboration
- Core Gameplay Changes: Specialists system was divisive among fans, reducing appeal
This manifested in a troubled early access launch state that damaged critical reception and trust in the brand.
Post-Launch Engagement and Financial Impact
Per Steam charts, Battlefield 2042 peaked at 100,000 concurrent players on launch day.
As problems persisted, the userbase began to rapidly decline within weeks:
| Date | Concurrent Players |
| November 19, 2021 | 100,000 |
| December 2021 | 70,000 |
| January 2022 | 15,000 |
| February 2023 | 3,000 |
For reference, 2018‘s Battlefield V maintains over 10,000 concurrent players in the same period.
This severe drop-off creates financial uncertainty for the $2 billion tentpole release meant to power yearly revenues. Rebuilding the player base and franchise perception presents a steep challenge.
What‘s Next? An Uphill Climb
DICE continues working to improve stability and design via seasonal updates. But 16 months since launch, much work remains.
Player counts between Battlefield 2042 and F2P rival Call of Duty Warzone demonstrate the stark difference:
| Battlefield 2042 | Call of Duty: Warzone | |
| Peak Concurrent Players | 100,000 | 6,000,000+ |
| Current Players | 3,000 | 100,000+ |
Reviving interest will require overhauling core systems to bring back lapsed fans. Even with improvements, matching past commercial success seems unlikely given market conditions.
Battlefield 2042‘s sales and reception mark a historic low point for the franchise. Only time will tell if developers can win back enough trust and players to maintain the series‘ AAA budget and prestige.
