MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
Electronic Arts lifted the cover from Battlefield V last week, showing off its new vision for a WW2 shooter.
The internet, at least in part, was unimpressed. Complaints sprung up based on the inclusion of a woman on the game’s cover art and another woman in the reveal trailer, fighting with a prosthetic arm.
This isn’t the first time the game has had a brush with controversy. With the release of Battlefield 1, people got angry at the lack of historical accuracy in the game after the cover featured a black soldier, a member of the definitely historically accurate Harlem Hellfighters.
It seems the "historical accuracy" crew are at it again, saying that a woman on the cover of the WW2-set Battlefield V is inaccurate, and that the historically accurate prosthetic art was also not time appropriate.
Unfazed, DICE GM Oskar Gabrielson took to Twitter for a series of tweets discussing the controversy.
It's been two days since the reveal of Battlefield V so I wanted to share some thoughts on the reactions so far. It sure seems we created a lot of excitement, and also some questions on a lot of different topics.
— Oskar Gabrielson (@ogabrielson) May 25, 2018
"First, let me be clear about one thing. Player choice and female playable characters are here to stay," Gabrielson said in a thread of tweets. "We want Battlefield V to represent all those who were a part of the greatest drama in human history, and give players choice to choose and customize the characters they play with.
"Our commitment as a studio is to do everything we can to create games that are inclusive and diverse. We always set out to push boundaries and deliver unexpected experiences. But above all, our games must be fun! The Battlefield sandbox has always been about playing the way you want. Like attempting to fit three players on a galloping horse, with flamethrowers. With BFV you also get the chance to play as who you want. This is #everyonesbattlefield."
