EA has confirmed that bots will be used to fill the 128-player servers in Battlefield 2042.
Battlefield 2042 will feature the biggest skirmishes in the series yet. The “All-Out Warfare” modes can accommodate 128 players simultaneously in a single match on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X / S and PC. But there won’t always be 128 players in every match – EA will fill these servers with bots to keep the games populated, the company confirms The edge
Humans will come first, so you may never run into an AI soldier at peak times – but players can play other modes as well. The main event allows up to 64 “AI soldiers” to fill a game, depending on the region, platform and how many real life people are available to participate. This applies to both Conquest and Breakthrough modes.
It’s a polarizing decision for sure, but it might be wise given the alternatives. Building a game with 128 simultaneous players (64 players on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One) is risky if you never know how long multiplayer gaming can keep users engaged.
MAG, a PS3 game that supported 256-player battles back in 2010, even inspired a petition to add bots to the game. And EA’s Star Wars Battlefront Reboots used bots alongside players to improve certain modes.
EA’s bots could also still be in the works: “The game is still in development and the use of the AI is being coordinated with the player data,” says the company.
EA says there will be more information on how the new bots will work soon. While Battlefield 2042 won’t have a single player campaign, players will be able to play any map and game mode alone against a team of bots, or fight with friends in a co-op mode.
Battlefield 2042 will be available on October 22, 2021 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X / S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and PC released.
