DICE Delays Future ‘Battlefield 4′ DLC Expansions Until Game is Fixed

DICE Delays Future ‘Battlefield 4′ DLC Expansions Until Game is Fixed



In late October, DICE finally released their highly anticipated FPS sequel Battlefield 4 to a hungry cavalcade of fans. Since that time, however, the next-gen and current-gen game has been plagued with numerous issues, from server connection problems to significant and troublesome gameplay bugs.

While the game’s issues in and of themselves were cause for concern, even more troubling was the fact DICE continued to promote their forthcoming DLC packages. In fact, the latest DLC expansion for Battlefield 4, China Rising, hit digital storefronts earlier this week.

Obviously, the decision to stick to DLC plans despite a significantly flawed base product has drawn the ire of the Battlefield franchise’s fan base. What’s the point of DLC if the game is unplayable or if players can’t access it? Thankfully, at least onn that front, DICE has an answer: no more DLC work until Battlefield 4 is fixed.

The developer, along with publisher Electronic Arts, confirmed the news earlier today saying that they will cease work on future Battlefield 4 expansions until they can iron out the game’s major problems. Problems that now include China Rising-related issues as well.

“First, we want to thank the fans out there that are playing and supporting us with Battlefield 4. We know we still have a ways to go with fixing the game — it is absolutely our No. 1 priority. The team at DICE is working non-stop to update the game. Since Battlefield 4 China Rising expansion pack was already in the final stages of development by the time issues began with Battlefield 4, we decided to fulfill our promise to deliver it this week, but we’re not moving onto future projects or expansions until we sort out all the issues with Battlefield 4. We know many of our players are frustrated, and we feel their pain. We will not stop until this is right.”

While those who are experiencing issues with China Rising are directed to this help page, DICE continues to promise updates on the way. Unfortunately, even those game-improving updates might not actually be fixing anything after all. A recent update for the game, for example, purported to eliminate Battlefield 4‘s “One-Hit Bug,” but it reportedly did not. The actual one-hit bug, which downs a player with a single bullet, was eliminated, but another, seemingly one-hit kill scenario still exists:

[quote]“The other is an issue with how deaths are communicated from server to client, which means you can sometimes appear to die instantly, but whoever shot you still actually shot the appropriate amount of bullets. The fix for this is a server-side fix, and we are looking at getting it out as soon as possible.”[/quote


Needless to say, the experience with Battlefield 4 thus far has been less than ideal. Gamers have been unable to play the game for several weeks, especially on the Xbox One and PS4, and the announcements and details regarding future expansions are only exacerbating things. It may put future DLC expansions off their current schedule, but it’s comforting to know DICE is finally making a determined effort to fix the game.

Do you think it’s a smart move by DICE to delay future Battlefield 4 expansions? What issues have you experienced with the game?