According to reports, Battlefield 2042 sold over 4.2 million copies in its first week, making it the series’ second-best launch ever.
According to insider accounts, Battlefield 2042 sold nearly 4.2 million units in its first week of release, giving it the franchise’s second-best launch ever. Battlefield 2042’s apparent success comes despite the game’s sloppy launch, which many would describe as a disaster due to the numerous flaws and glitches that plagued the experience across all platforms.
This installment in Electronic Arts’ long-running FPS franchise had long been billed as the most ambitious to date, particularly in terms of scope. The enormous areas and 128-player battles available to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S platforms demonstrate this. However, DICE’s alterations to the formula produced several contentious issues, particularly with replacing Battlefield’s conventional Class structure with Specialists roles. The lack of a story campaign in Battlefield 2042 is also criticized in some community quarters, although claimed sales figures tell a different story.
Insider Tom Henderson provided first-week sales for Battlefield 2042 from internal sources, according to GamingBolt. Henderson says that despite primarily negative reviews, the new shooter sold 4.23 million units in its first week on the market. This makes the 2042 adventure the second-best-selling Battlefield game of all time, trailing only 2011’s well-received Battlefield 3, which sold 4.68 million copies in its first week. Battlefield 1, a fan favorite from 2016, is third on the list, with 3.46 million units sold in its first seven days of release. Henderson’s full breakdown can be seen in the following tweet:
Week 1 sales:
Battlefield 3 – 4.68M
Battlefield 1 – 3.46M
Battlefield 4 – 2.59M
Battlefield: Hardline – 1.48M
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 – 1.39M
Battlefield: Bad Company – 0.44M#Battlefield2042 – 4.23M— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) December 3, 2021
Given the controversy surrounding Battlefield 2042 and its low Steam player count, such news may come as a surprise to some. The futuristic shooter quickly rose to the top of Steam’s list of the worst-reviewed games of all time. It also appears to have lost its luster in user hours played. Battlefield 2042’s Steam player count has decreased by 70% since its debut, with less than 30,000 concurrent players compared to a peak of 105,000 two weeks ago.
Henderson’s figure shows that millions were eager to join in the fun from the start. As a result, even if the multiplayer-only experience isn’t retaining its audience on Steam, other PC platforms and consoles may keep the game afloat.
Battlefield 2042 is now available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
Source: Tom Henderson/Twitter via GamingBolt
