The reveal of Battlefield V has been a contentious one for some. Although the reveal was somewhat underwhelming when it comes to what was actually shown in terms of gameplay, many Battlefield fans seemed to be more focused on the character creation aspects of DICE’s next shooter.
While the developers talked about historical accuracy in the reveal, what they were saying and what they were showing appeared to be different things entirely. One of the things that DICE spent a lot of time talking about in the Battlefield V reveal was one of the new features of the game that focused on character creation. It was revealed that any player could create any type of character in the game, meaning players could create male or female characters of any color and then outfit them with cosmetic gear.
One DICE developer has shed some light on the situation and their thought process in including the option to create female characters.
Alan Kertz, Design Director at DICE had this to say over on the Battlefield V Reddit. “I knew this was going to be a fight when i pushed for female soldiers in Battlefield. I have a daughter, and I don’t want to ever have to answer her question of “why can’t I make a character that looks like me” with “because you’re a girl.” I fundamentally feel to my core this is the right way and I will find myself on the right side of history. And I think many people will play the game despite their reservations. And maybe learn something about either history or themselves. That is part of the making games art.”
Kertz very well may be right about people playing the game despite their reservations, but these fans that DO have reservations have already started to band together under the flag of a hashtag: #NotMyBattlefield. So will DICE pull a 180 like they did with Star Wars Battlefront 2? It’s not sounding likely. Oskar Gabrielson, GM at DICE says that “Player choice and female playable characters are here to stay.”
DICE isn’t doing themselves any favors in terms of their marketing. A poorly timed Facebook advertisement that says “Forget what you learned in history class,” was spotted during Memorial Day weekend. This is a time where the United States takes a holiday to pay tribute to those who’ve served in the Armed Forces.
Battlefield V is slated for release this October on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.
