Though EA Dice may be confident enough in their product to openly mock detractors, the numbers concerning
Battlefield V may prove that this smug confidence is undeserved. At about a month before release the
pre-order numbers for Battlefield V were behind a competing game,
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, by 85%, leading analysts to warn that the game may be a ‘serious disappointment’ and also ‘put the company’s financial guidance at risk’. Even after EA noted that they would be
making changes to the game in order to improve authenticity, these numbers were not seeing significant changes.
The game also saw discounts of up to 50% off during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, less than one week after the game’s release. While discounts on new titles during these shopping events are not uncommon, it is rare to see such a heavy discount for a recently released game (competing games
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and
Red Dead Redemption II’’s lowest sale prices were both $40 during the same sales event).
Despite releasing directly prior to Black Friday,
Battlefield V sales were down
63% compared to its predecessor,
Battlefield 1 (it is important to note that these sales charts only account for physical sales and do not include digital sales). The forecast for future sales does not hold much hope as critics give
Battlefield V less than stellar reviews. Variety notes that
Battlefield V “
is an unfinished game”, Digital Trends noting that the game has “
some pretty glaring faults”, and Eurogamer emphatically noting that it’s “
the glitchiest, most technically troubled DICE’s sandbox multiplayer has been since the infamous launch of Battlefield 4, and even the launch itself is all over the place.” (The Eurogamer review was so disappointing to EA that an EA employee supposedly
attempted to directly leap to Battlefield V’s defense).
