Battlefield V has become the focus of a not-entirely genuine major controversy since its initial reveal prior to E3. The game prominently features women World War 2 soldiers, an option in the game’s new character customization feature, as well as certain unique customizations including mechanical prosthetic arms. The controversy initially stirred within its community over the historical accuracy of such features and their inclusion in a game set in World War 2, as well as over a general disagreement over whether the Battlefield franchise ever prioritized historical accuracy in the first place.
The controversy has always had a virulent and malevolent edge to it, however, as certain extremist online communities took interest in the issue. At least one known white supremacist and misogynistic website and community specifically redirected its readers toward Reddit and gaming outlets like Kotaku, nevermind certain known extremist subreddits within Reddit itself.
That the Battlefield subreddit has struggled this long with only the support of its volunteer moderators is evidence of their dedication to the community. But there’s a point where the moderators have to acknowledge that all productive conversation is ending and what’s left is doing nothing but harming the community. Here are sloth_on_meth’s closing comments regarding the subreddit’s decision:
No comment was made with regards to whether the decision will be reverted once the brigading ends and the Battlefield moderator team once again feels in control of the situation. Reddit officials appear to be working with the subreddit, as well as other subreddits where brigading was coming from, to prevent such actions in the future.
As for EA and DICE, the publisher and developer remain dedicated to their original vision of Battlefield V. EA chief creative officer Patrick Soderlund said the following on the first day of E3 2018:
Battlefield V releases on October 19 for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Source: Reddit
