Battlefield 2042 dev explains why there will not be Ranked or esports modes at launch
Although competitive gaming is only getting more popular, a Battlefield 2042 dev confirmed that the game will not feature esports or Ranked modes at launch. However, it could come later if Portal creates an appetite for it.
Almost every popular FPS game features a competitive mode nowadays. Cold War has League Play, Fortnite has Arena, and Apex Legends has Ranked Leagues, to name but a few. Battlefield 2042 is set to be the next big thing, so naturally, players will be looking for a place to test their skills in a competitive environment.
Although Battlefield has never been known for its competitive scene, there has been some buzz around the competitive modes that players could create in Portal. However, a developer has confirmed that there will be no official esports or Ranked modes in Battlefield 2042 at launch, but they could come later.
Battlefield Portal will allow fans to create all sorts of weird and wonderful modes. Of course, esports and the competitive nature of gaming continue to grow, so Battlefield players will want to build their own competitive modes in Battlefield 2042. And with Portal, they can.
However, a senior Ripple Effect dev has confirmed that there will be no official competitive modes at launch, but they could come later if there’s demand.
YouTube channel Battlefield Nation got the chance to speak to Justin Wiebe, the Senior Design Director at Ripple Effect Studios. Battlefield Nation asked, “Thanks to the builder, the community will be able to create esport settings and environments. Is this something that you (DICE / EA) are planning to support?”
“There’s no plan to have any kind of Ranked or esport mode at launch,” explained Wiebe. “This is something that, obviously, we want to hear more about from the community. Again, I’m using this phrase a lot, but if that’s something that’s important to the community, we’d like to hear about it. And we’ll kind of see what happens after that.”
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So while there are no official plans to create a competitive mode in Battlefield 2042 or Portal, it’s not impossible we’ll see it down the line. While the community could, and most certainly will, create some truly creative competitive modes, there won’t be any sort of ranking system in place.
However, speaking to Dexerto, Thomas ‘Tompen’ Andersson, a Game Developer at Ripple Effect, revealed that players would be able to create their own competitions. Portal servers can be password protected, so “only the players that are supposed to be there, are there.” They said that after launch, they want the Battlefield community to feel that they are being listened to and the tools they need are being built.
Of course, Battlefield isn’t known for its competitive or esports presence. DICE attempted to create a competitive BF mode with ‘Battlefield 1 Incursions,’ a separate BF1 experience that focused on tight squad play and introduced some more hardcore mechanics. Unfortunately, the mode never really left the ground, and many of the additions made their way into BFV instead.
If you can’t wait to play Battlefield 2042, check out how to play in the Open Beta in September.
Image Credit: EA / DICE
