Battlefield 2042 Profits Fell Far Short of Expectations

ByJames Dorn Last Update on

According to EA‘s Q3 FY2023 earnings report, Battlefield 2042 performed significantly below their targets in the launch quarter and the calendar year overall. While EA does not break out exact profit numbers for individual titles, CFO Chris Suh shared they incurred a $186 million negative impact due to the game missing net bookings projections by 10%. With estimated development and marketing budgets over $500 million, this steep shortfall in expected revenues paints a grim picture. Battlefield 2042 cost EA a substantial sum instead of being the major Q4 2021 profit driver they envisioned.

Lifetime Sales Lagged Behind Battlefield 1 & V Significantly

Based on market analysis and EA‘s disclosed Q3 figures, Battlefield 2042 lags well behind the last two entries in launch window sales – a critical profit phase for any AAA release.

Battlefield 1 sold a massive 25 million units worldwide during its launch year. While EA has not released official figures, VGChartz estimates place Battlefield 2042 at sub-7 million sales after its first 3 months – around a 70% decrease compared to Battlefield 1‘s first year sales benchmark. For reference, 2018‘s Battlefield V sold roughly 17.5 million copies in year one despite its own shaky reception.

Simply put, 2042 sits far below recent franchise sales standards even given the rising costs of AAA game development. Following a rocky launch, player drop-off has also accelerated.

Recurring Revenue Through Live Services Also Lagging

As EA pivots to free-to-play and live service monetization models, post-launch player engagement is crucial for driving recurrent spending on items like battle pass subscriptions or cosmetic microtransactions. Here again, Battlefield 2042 is failing to meet targets.

The title saw its PC player base drop over 97% on Steam in its first 100 days. As of February 2023 daily concurrent users routinely sit below 4,000 players – an incredibly low engagement metric for a tentpole AAA shooter. Poor post-launch retention severely limits 2042‘s in-game revenue potential from DLC purchases or battle passes.

Overall based on available sales and engagement data, Battlefield 2042 is unlikely to have profited at all so far. It may take years to recoup the title‘s ballooning development and marketing costs.

So What Went Wrong?

Understanding Battlefield 2042‘s shortcomings that triggered such poor financial results remains vital for EA and DICE.

Development Issues Led to Feature Cuts & Bugs

After a lengthy 7 year gap since Battlefield V, 2042 was plagued by pandemic-related production issues and scope cutbacks:

  • Original narrative campaign mode scrapped
  • Last-minute shift to free-to-play specialist system
  • Core features like voice chat absent at launch
  • Rampant visual bugs, instability and performance woes

This led to a thin, often broken experience compared to past franchise benchmarks.

Failed to Resonate With Core Player Base

DICE‘s attempts to chase modern shooter trends like hero characters backfired with the hardcore Battlefield community:

  • Specialists system was poorly balanced
  • Maps were too open and unoptimized
  • Vehicle overdominance discouraged infantry combat
  • Game lacked identity beyond buggy large battles

As longtime fans rejected changes seen as sacrificing core pillars like teamplay, 2042 leveled out as an unremarkable jack-of-all-trades shooter missing elements distinguishing the franchise.

Fierce Genre Competition

2042 entered a shooter scene dominated by Call of Duty‘s yearly lucrative releases, Halo Infinite, consistent hit Valorant and ascendant franchises like Escape from Tarkov. As a premium-priced title stacked against strong free-to-play offerings, it simply failed to stand out or communicate why players should engage long term post-launch. EA likely overestimated residual goodwill towards the Battlefield IP.

While reviving 2042 remains a multi-year play, DICE must balance franchise traditions with evolving shooter landscape trends to earn back player trust and position Battlefield as a genre leader once more. For EA the road to recouping those steep development costs stays long and uncertain.

James K. Dorn, a passionate gamer deeply immersed in the world of video gaming. My journey in gaming is not just about playing; it's about exploring every facet of the games I love. I am particularly fascinated by the intricate worlds of role-playing games like "The Witcher" series and "Elder Scrolls: Skyrim," where every decision shapes the story.

As a strategy game enthusiast, I spend hours devising tactics in games like "Civilization VI" and "StarCraft II," always eager to share my strategies with fellow gamers. I'm also an ardent follower of the ever-evolving landscape of indie games, finding gems like "Hollow Knight" and "Celeste" that offer unique, compelling experiences.

My content isn't just reviews; it's about deep dives into game mechanics, storytelling, and the art of game design. I love dissecting the narratives of games like "The Last of Us" and discussing the innovative gameplay of titles like "Death Stranding."

Being at the forefront of gaming news, I eagerly anticipate and share insights on upcoming releases like the next big open-world adventure or the latest in the "Final Fantasy" series. My goal is to build a community where we not only play games but also appreciate the artistry and effort behind them. Join me in this gaming journey, where every session is an adventure, and every game is a story waiting to be told.

Similar Posts