EA DICE’s upcoming 5-versus-5 competitive mode for Battlefield V has been canceled, according to the developers. DICE Senior Producer Ryan McArthur posted an update on the game’s current status and health as part of their “Letters from the Front” series on the game’s official website. Since launching in 2018, Battlefield V has added battle royale mode as well as limited time multiplayer modes along with other story and map content.
Previous games in the Battlefield franchise have included multiplayer modes with a competitive, eSports-friendly design. Battlefield 1 featured an “Incursion” mode, a 5v5 control point mode with a drafting phase for choosing weaponry and vehicles. EA DICE decided to “sunset” Incursions in April of this year.
In his post, McArthur explains that the decision to cancel the 5v5 competitive mode in Battlefield V is a result of the team’s focus on different goals. “The added focus on improving the quality of the experience and adding more of the content you want has led us to step back from our original plans to offer a competitive 5v5 mode,” he wrote. “Not creating this mode was a tough decision, but vital for us to more quickly reach our bug-crushing and content goals.”
McArthur went on to add that “not creating [the 5v5 competitive] mode was a tough decision, but vital for us to more quickly reach our bug-crushing and content goals.” EA DICE’s 4.4 update will focus on fixes to issues with stuttering and game stability, UI improvements, and other “community-flagged” items. The team will also update Battlefield V with two infantry maps and an increase in attainable rank to 500, up from 50.
In his post, McArthur assures the Battlefield player base that EA DICE will “still pursue building a competitive gaming experience in Battlefield.” He adds that the team “know[s] that there’s already an existing competitive scene in our community, and we’re helping build features to support these communities. We want to work more closely with our players to help improve the tools that they have available to shape their play experience. This way, we can better support the places where competitive Battlefield V play already exists.”
McArthur and DICE also reinforced their commitment to share more information more readily with the community, with “Letters from the Front” written monthly. Battlefield V and its fourth chapter “Defying the Odds” are available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.