DICE reports that Battlefield 1943 and Bad Company 1 and 2 are shutting down
End of an era
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After 15 years, DICE has announced that EA will removeBattlefield 1943 and Bad Company 1 and 2from digital stores ahead of closing servers for these titles.
NowBattlefield 2042has been up and running for a few years; DICE has announced that starting April 28 2023,Battlefield 1943andBad Company 1 and 2will no longer be purchasable in online stores. This move is a pre-emptive strike to ease these three games into retirement, as you also won’t be able to play online after December 8.
Ina blog post, DICE summarized its fond feelings for these soon-to-be discontinued FPS games. “We’re now looking forward to creating new memories alongside you as we shift our focus towards our current and future Battlefield experiences”, DICE said.
DICE also reportedly includedMirror’s Edgein the list of soon-to-be canceled titles but later removed any mention of the game from its blog post.
Good old times
I enjoyedBattlefield 1943immensely; it was the last time I actually enjoyed a Battlefield game, so I’m sad to see it go.
I loved the simplicity of this multiplayer shooter. By boiling the format down to its essentials, DICE ensured everything was done well and that the experience was balanced. Instead of running around like a chicken with its head cut off,1943rewarded strategy and tactical decision-making.
While chaotic firefights in games likeCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 remakecan be a lot of fun, having an FPS title that encouraged you to go beyond this was refreshing. I just wish DICE kept these habits up for its later games.
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Tricks and tips
Despite the solid graphics and performance, I initially found Battlefield 2042 to be pretty draining. The shiny weapons needed a good amount of elbow grease and attachments to work well, and I often found myself waylaid in my attempts to track down usable vehicles.
This made Battlefield 2042 a confusing mess where players converged on a single meta
The worst crime was the introduction of Specialists. These replaced class and loadout systems with characters that were able to equip any weapon or gadget without restrictions. For instance, even if a Specialist is an Assault type, they don’t necessarily play in the way you feel an Assault would. This madeBattlefield 2042a confusing mess where players converged on a single meta. In practice, this amounted to hordes of acrobatic soldiers zooming around battlefields with chaotic abandon and grapples.
Hopefully, withBattlefield 1943ending, DICE has time to reflect on this classic title and see how it can bring simplicity into its new games. I’d personally take strategic gameplay over power-hungry players armed to the teeth with ammo and helicopters any day.
Elie is a Features Writer for TechRadar Gaming, here to write about anything new or slightly weird. Before writing for TRG, Elie studied for a Masters at Cardiff University JOMEC in International Journalism and Documentaries – spending their free time filming short docs or editing the gaming section for their student publications.
Elie’s first step into gaming was through Pokémon but they’ve taken the natural next step in the horror genre. Any and every game that would keep you up at night is on their list to play - despite the fact that one of Elie’s biggest fears is being chased.
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