Battlefield 2042: DICE Outlines Its Stance On Positive And Fair Play

Anyone who has ever played a FPS knows that the virtual battlefield can, at times, be filled with jerks and people who try to ruin the experience. DICE announced today that it is committed to helping Battlefield 2042 be a "welcoming experience that encourages positive play."

To that end, DICE has created a Community Charter that spells out what the developer expects of players to help Battlefield 2042 be a "globally inclusive" game where all people--regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, heritage, or country of origin--are accepted.

Battlefield 2042 Community Charter:

• Treat Others as They Would Like to be Treated - Squad up and play the objective, together. We won’t tolerate players who negatively disrupt or engage in harmful behavior towards others.
• Keep Things Fair - Be on the right side of the fight. If you see players breaking the rules, report them.
• Share Appropriate Content - Don't fight dirty. Make sure whatever content you're sharing is appropriate for Battlefield players.
• Keep Things Honorable - Protect your squad. Keep it legal in Battlefield, and do not participate or encourage in dangerous or illegal activities.

In terms of the "positive play" steps that DICE is taking, the studio will give players access to a variety of tools to help keep the battlefield free of offensive or bad behavior. Players will be able to block and unblock anyone whenever they want so they won't receive written or voice messages, while Battlefield 2042 has a text profanity filter that is always turned on. Players can also choose to mute the chat entirely, or specific people. Battlefield 2042 also has an in-game reporting tool, so players don't need to leave the game to report bad behavior. Additionally, DICE said the Battlefield Portal mode will give players administrator tools to ban people from their creations.

For reporting players, DICE said it needs the community's help. "We ask you to be on the right side of the fight when it comes to keeping things fair," DICE said. "If you see players breaking the rules, report them so we can investigate. It helps maintain a healthy community and we appreciate your help."

In addition to an in-game reporting tool, players can contact EA Help and report their concerns that way. DICE is also taking steps to help players feel heard, as the studio will inform players that they have received their report, and if action is taken, DICE will tell players that as well.

In terms of in-game cheating and other methods of altering the normal flow of a match, DICE said it does not tolerate cheating and works with dedicated teams focused on preventing, identifying, and taking action against cheaters. The game itself using the Easy-Anti-Cheat software, which is also used in Apex Legends and Star Wars: Squadrons. EAC will be featured in the open beta, too.

Additionally, DICE said people found to be cheating will be instantly disconnected from the game, even if it's during a match. Additionally, bans will apply to all platforms. "As before, we still have the ability to apply IP and hardware bans if necessary. To keep our community a fair place, we have a no tolerance rule in place. There are no warnings and no suspensions when it comes to cheating. If you don't play by the rules, you're out," DICE said.

DICE cannot prepare for every possibility, and it said it will "continue to invest in developing internal capabilities and technologies that augment third-party anti-cheat solutions, provide multiple layers of defense, and ensure our games are fair and fun for everyone." DICE will not always communicate this information to everyone, and that's presumably out of a desire to not give cheaters a heads up.

Finally, DICE said mouse and keyboard controls are not supported on console, presumably due to concerns about keeping the playing field level with Battlefield 2042's cross-play nature. However, DICE said it continues to investigate the possibility of adding keyboard and mouse controls in the future.

Following a delay, Battlefield 2042 launches on November 19. An open beta begins on October 6, and here's everything you need to know about it.