Electronic Arts has openly admitted that Battlefield 2042 failed to meet its sales expectations, and a recent report said the launch of Halo Infinite might have contributed to the lower-than-expected results. It might have played a role, but Electronic Arts has now reacted to that report, saying it is "not blaming external factors" for Battlefield 2042's underperformance relative to EA's expectations.
For those just catching up, Xfire reported this week that EA held a town hall meeting recently during which it discussed what happened with Battlefield 2042. The report listed many reasons for why Battlefield 2042 might have come up short, but much of the discussion surrounding the piece was focused on what role Halo Infinite's launch around the same time might have had. Fans may recall that Microsoft surprise-launched Halo Infinite's multiplayer on November 15, just days before Battlefield 2042.
EA communications vice president John Reseburg told PC Gamer that the stories floating around the internet do not accurately represent "the discussion and the context" of the town hall meeting. This was an "in-depth and very humble internal conversation" about Battlefield 2042's launch, Reseburg said.
"It was about key learnings and actions we are taking, not blaming external factors," he added.
The Xfire report, which was published by noted insider Tom Henderson, said Battlefield 2042 might have struggled in the market due to development issues with its engine, the work-from-home setup due to COVID, and comparisons to other, more polished games on the market, like Halo Infinite.
Officially, EA CEO Andrew Wilson said Battlefield 2042 struggled in part due to it being developed during COVID, while he also mentioned that some of the design choices in the game did not resonate with players.
EA never disclosed what its sales targets for Battlefield 2042 were in the first place, but management said the company sold fewer units than it expected to. Despite Battlefield 2042 coming up short for EA, the company's Q3--when Battlefield 2042 was released--was the most financially successful in EA's nearly 40-year history.
While Battlefield 2042 might not have gotten off to the strongest start, management believes the game will have a long sales tail, with results improving over time. Recently, DICE outlined its plans for the future of Battlefield 2042's live-service elements. DICE is currently focused on improving the core experience, so it is delaying the launch of Season 1.
For the Battlefield series overall, Wilson said EA has a "big bold vision" for the series, though he declined to confirm if the rumors of Battlefield 2042 adopting a free-to-play model are true. What we do know is that EA is building new Battlefield single-player experiences with Halo's Marcus Lehto, among other new projects in development for the series.