EA Denies That Battlefield 2042 Has A "Skeleton Crew" Working On It

Electronic Arts has denied that Battlefield 2042's development team is composed of a "skeleton crew" that is working to "meet the barebones of their obligations" for the military shooter.

A spokesperson told Jeff Grubb of GameSpot sister site Giant Bomb that, "This is untrue." The statement went on to say: "There is a significant team across studios focused on evolving and improving the Battlefield 2042 experience for our players, and at that heart of that is our team at DICE."

"We are committed to the future of Battlefield 2042 and our areas of focus for the game," DICE said.

Grubb has previously reported about the Battlefield 2042 development status during his GrubbSnax show for Giant Bomb. He followed up to say, "My position for these things is consistent: If you hear two stories about what is happening, look for the space where both things are true."

Indeed, this all may boil down to particular language. For example, "skeleton crew" and "significant team" are vague enough terms that can be interpreted in different ways, by different people.

Battlefield 2042's new Season 1: Zero Hour update launched this week, adding a new map and specialist character to the game. Multiple further seasons are planned that will add more maps, characters, weapons, and other new content to the game.

The Season 1 launch didn't go entirely to plan, as the dreaded "Load Persistence Data" errors that dogged the game at launch have returned. DICE is looking into it.

Looking beyond Battlefield 2042, DICE is reportedly now developing the next Battlefield title with an aim to release it in 2024, according to a report. The series has undergone a shakeup, with Titanfall and Apex Legends boss Vince Zampella now heading up the entire series. Additionally, Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto has opened a new studio in Seattle that will make a new Battlefield experience.

Despite Battlefield 2042's struggles, it was the fifth best-selling title of 2021 in the US.