With update 2.2, persistent servers should be possible in Battlefield Portal. This could eliminate a nuisance created by the developers themselves
At least Battlefield 2042 is doing okay – considering the time until Season 1. Contrary to the worst expectations, the shooter is not dead yet and keeps its head above water with updates and new content. Now another change has been announced, which seems quite small at first glance, but could make quite a difference.
Serverbrowser like before?
There is talk of persistent servers, which are to be introduced with the next major update 2.2. As the developers announced in a (Blogpost), owners of the Premium Battle Pass will then be able to activate this option when creating a portal server.
Until now, servers were only displayed in the browser as long as players were active there. If the number of players dropped to zero, the server was deactivated and removed from the browser. Persistent servers, on the other hand, should now continue to be displayed and only disappear from the browser if they remain unpopulated for seven days.
In plain language, this means the return of the server browser that many players have missed. Now it will be possible to operate servers much more easily on a permanent basis. This also creates the chance that stable server communities will develop and that Portal will become more than just a playerless desert with one or two XP farms.
In addition, the effects of a decision with which the developers have probably shot themselves in the foot could be mitigated: The seemingly indiscriminate turning off and on of popular modes in the official playlists. For example, the infantry mode from the latest event is to disappear again after two weeks:
If there were one or more busy servers where you could play, say, 64-player Conquest on portal maps, who would have to wait for Exodus Conquest to reappear in AoW?
A small patch
Of course, this promising measure cannot hide the fact that Battlefield 2042 is still in a difficult situation. In the last few months, (on Steam) around (6,000 players online simultaneously). Even if you include the additional players via Origin or the consoles, these are weak figures for a shooter brand of this size.
Although the hardest times have already been overcome and the start of a new season can attract significantly more players at times. But steps like the introduction of persistent servers are only one way to keep existing players. And then there is the release of Modern Warfare 2, which could become a real problem as competition for Battlefield.
The future of the game remains uncertain, even if persistent servers are another step in the right direction. With the return of classes, however, another significant change is coming soon that could significantly improve Battlefield 2042.
