Battlefield 2042 Developers Urge Console Players to Embrace Crossplay Despite Persistent PC Cheating Concerns

As the highly anticipated launch of Battlefield 2042 approached, developers at DICE found themselves in a unique and challenging position: urging console players to embrace the game's full crossplay capabilities, even as they candidly acknowledged the persistent and frustrating specter of PC cheaters.

It's a delicate balancing act, one that pits the desire for a unified, thriving player base against the undeniable issue of competitive fairness.

The vision for Battlefield 2042, with its massive 128-player battles on next-gen consoles and PC, inherently benefits from a robust crossplay system.

Larger lobbies mean quicker matchmaking, more diverse opponents, and the invaluable ability for friends to team up regardless of their platform. For DICE, the advantages are clear: a more vibrant, dynamic ecosystem where the action never stops. Yet, this ambition is shadowed by a significant concern: the historical prevalence of cheating on PC platforms, a problem that often leaves console players feeling disadvantaged and unfairly targeted.

DICE developers have not shied away from this reality.

Their message to the community has been one of hopeful pragmatism. While they desperately want console players to keep crossplay enabled, thereby contributing to a healthy and expansive player pool, they also understand the very real frustrations that arise when encountering unscrupulous players. The sentiment is clear: "We know it's an issue.

We're fighting it, but please don't let it deter you from playing with everyone."

The fight against cheaters is an ongoing arms race. Battlefield 2042, like many modern online titles, employs Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) to combat illicit software. However, as any veteran online gamer knows, anti-cheat systems are never a silver bullet.

Cheaters constantly evolve their methods, forcing developers to continuously update and adapt their defenses. It’s a battle of attrition, and while significant strides are made, the complete eradication of cheating remains an elusive goal.

The developers’ plea stems from a genuine concern about player base fragmentation.

If a significant portion of console players opts to disable crossplay – a feature available to them – it could lead to smaller, less populated lobbies and longer wait times for matches. This, in turn, could diminish the overall experience, especially for a game designed for epic-scale warfare. The fear is that while players seek refuge from cheaters, they inadvertently weaken the very community they wish to be a part of.

This situation echoes challenges faced by other major titles, like Call of Duty, which also grappled with console player reluctance to engage in crossplay due to PC cheating.

The industry is still learning how to best navigate this complex landscape, aiming to deliver the benefits of cross-platform play without compromising the integrity of competitive environments. For Battlefield 2042, DICE's hope is that despite the acknowledged hurdles, console players will ultimately see the larger picture and keep crossplay on, trusting the developers to continue their tireless efforts against those who seek to undermine the game's fairness.