Support NeoGAF

[The_Mike]

Steam issues refunds for Battlefield 2042 as player count plummets - Dexerto

Battlefield 2042's downward spiral continues, as Steam is bending its own refund policy requirements to please upset fans.

www.dexerto.com

Battlefield 2042’s downward spiral continues, leading Steam to break its own rules and provide frustrated fans with a full refund.

The launch of Battlefield 2024 was incredibly troubled, as months of ill-fated rumors came to fruition. Lacking vital features that were intended to enhance the game, players are now dropping EA DICE’s latest installment completely in favor of older titles.

To add salt to the wound, online games retailer Steam appears to be breaking its own policies to make peace with upset players.

Steam breaks their policy for Battlefield 2042​

Steam will allow users to apply for a refund for a recently purchased game, within the parameters of their policy requirements. While having purchased the game within 14 days and less than two hours of gameplay are normally fundamental requirements, Steam is bending its own rules to appease disgruntled Battlefield 2042 fans.

The Battlefield 2042 player count continues to drastically plummet, reaching a brutal low of under 9,000 players. November saw a player peak of 100,00 but it has dropped in vast increments over the remainder of 2021 into 2022.

“PlayStation won’t refund. Lucky PC players” said Redditor Dangerous-Case9544. The move is incredibly bizarre for Steam, but players are seeing it as a sign of Battlefield 2042’s failure: “The fact that STEAM ITSELF had to bend its policy from how poor this game did, shows just how badly they did.”

“I’m really bothered I can’t get a refund. Haven’t played the game since November, man. What a f****** disappointment” added Redditor NaughtyNaughtyMod.

Yikes

 

[Patrick S.]

Steam keeps winning.

Battlefield, sadly, keeps losing.

 

[GHG]

Told everyone it was going to be shit. Got laughed at and was told "it's just a alpha/beta bro".

 

[Maiden Voyage]

I don't know much about these controversies as I haven't played a Battlefield game in 10 years or so. I am glad we seem to be nearing the tipping point for what is actually acceptable to sell to customers, however.

 

[STARSBarry]

I want to point out this is not anything special, Steam will do this on occasion as long as you don't abuse it.

Essentially the first response is a bot and will tell you that you won't qualify for a refund because your over the limit, if you reopen and provide a solid reason like I have been stuck in the menu's for 4 hours trying to have the game not crash, or point out the game has been unplayable for months despite promises of patches a real human will read it at this point...

Now depending on who you get you will get a refund or not, but its completely on the human at the other end of the screen.

Its nothing new and has been known by PC players since steam refunds went up, I suspect however its getting press because a large amount of people have a genuine issue with the product.

I have had two products refunded as good will gestures, both where due to me just trying to get the game working without crashing for 4 hours or so, that's out of 18 years on steam though.

 

[Stitch]

Meh, most people complaining about this Battlefield will immediately pre-order the next one

 

[Lukaku's First Touch]

what? I tried refunding 2 days ago and it got refused. I'm level 64 and I preordered.

 

[Stuart360]

Wow Steam dont do this that often, the backlash must of been pretty immense.

 

[Arun1910]

what? I tried refunding 2 days ago and it got refused. I'm level 64 and I preordered.

Level 69 only. get gud.

 

[Kacho]

And people still try defending this game. Unreal.

 

[Sean Mirrsen]

what? I tried refunding 2 days ago and it got refused. I'm level 64 and I preordered.

The bot will always refuse you if you're over the limits. Raise an actual support ticket, explain why you want a refund, be patient and polite. You may or may not get a refund, but it's a better chance than just using the standard refund request, which is fully automated.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Meh, most people complaining about this Battlefield will immediately pre-order the next one

This was the only Battlefield I didnt buy since 1942, looks like I dodged a bullet but it's plain to see that EA have lost the plot.

Not holding my breath for the next one either personally.

 

[mitch1971]

A multiplayer game that has no score board. I mean, really?!

 

[Lukaku's First Touch]

The bot will always refuse you if you're over the limits. Raise an actual support ticket, explain why you want a refund, be patient and polite. You may or may not get a refund, but it's a better chance than just using the standard refund request, which is fully automated.

Cool, I just sent it again.

 

[SplunkyMunkey]

I guess battlefield ww2 is the main battlefield franchise then

 

[welshrat]

Still playing this as my main FPS shooter and still loving it. Oh well

 

[NoLootBoxDev]

It was kind of expected. From the videos on youtube and people providing feedback, the developers did not take well the community feedback or pretty much care about it. They wanted to die on that hill...

 

[SJRB]

Don't be sad, this is just how it works out sometimes.

 

[Kerotan]

I liked the 10 hour trial but haven't actually played this at all. So I've applied for a refund off playstation just for lols.

If I get it I'll just rebuy in future when it's on sale and I'm ready to play.

 

[Fake]

Steam probably don't paid for IGN/Gamespot/Kotaku for write how toxic steam users are.

 

[RaptorGTA]

Really wish Origin would follow...buuut they wont.

 

[Holammer]

Amusingly the Free Weekend did nothing. There are single player games on Steam with better user engagement.
If I owned Dice I would demand a blood sacrifice right now.

 

[NiiloPielinen]

 

[MayauMiao]

Amusingly the Free Weekend did nothing. There are single player games on Steam with better user engagement.
If I owned Dice I would demand a blood sacrifice right now.

People value their time and bandwidth than wasting it on a shitty product.

 

[DeceptiveAlarm]

Thanks so much for this! I bought the gold. Only played 3 hours so I gave it a try.

 

[SteelCurtain 59]

Is this the beginning of the end for the Battlefield franchise? Like even previous Battlefields that were buggy messes, or unpopular, still got WAY better numbers than this. Or is it just that this game is so much of a trainwreck that the next one can't possibly be this bad and will end up recovering?

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Damn TLOU 2 hate trend continues

 

[CitizenZ]

To change policy a few months after release, they must be getting bombarded with requests. Or did EA step in and say to allow it? We will never know.

 

[zombrex]

Also, it may depend on the country, the 2 hour rule does not supersede consumer law.
For example in Australia, if the game is buggy and does not function as would be reasonably expected we are entitled to a refund.

 

[winjer]

I have to give credit to Steam, for siding with costumers.
Most digital stores would never do this.

 

[yurinka]

The concurrent players of basically all games 'plummet' over time after the launch peak, and many devs complained in the past that Steam's refund limit of 2 hours or 14 days never existed they always refund so many users exploit the system, an average of 10%-15% of a game's revenue on Steam dissapear due to refunds and chargebacks.

 

[LordCBH]

Yet they keep denying my refund request for New World despite Amazon making it worse with every single update they put out, and that it’s lost like 90% of its players.

 

[Draugoth]

It's insane how quality control of games fell nowdays, even with so many tools of fixing such messable releases.

 

[Nikana]

What a disaster.

A win for consumers though. Hopefully after Cyberpunk and now this it will make publishers start to think twice. If they can't get your cash then laugh their way to the bank because you can't get a refund they will have to start thinking twice about releasing broken games. We are far from that reality still but this is a start.

 

[Saber]

Waiting for the "hating trend" excuse.

In other news, yeah I agree with Nikana . It's a win for the ones who got deceived. Hope this helps them in the future...got a feeling that it won't though. People likes to be made of fools.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Told everyone it was going to be shit. Got laughed at and was told "it's just a alpha/beta bro".

I’ll admit I was completely in the camp of those that thought it would be better, and hoped more than anything it would. I haven’t even played one game of the released version….and I was a huge battlefield fan. Absolute joke.

 

[Kacho]

Is this the beginning of the end for the Battlefield franchise? Like even previous Battlefields that were buggy messes, or unpopular, still got WAY better numbers than this. Or is it just that this game is so much of a trainwreck that the next one can't possibly be this bad and will end up recovering?

Hard to say. In a move of desperation EA put Zampella in charge of the franchise going forward. That alone should get the series trending in the right direction again.

No clue what’s happening at DICE. Did all the talent leave and it’s just a bunch of randos now? I saw the former EIC at Game Informer is their paid shill now. Western studios in general seem like they’re in a state of decay after the 360 era. It’s like we’ve entered the era of cosplay video game development, similar to what’s happened in the pro wrestling business.

 

[Dust-by-Monday]

Sony needs a better refund policy in general. I would buy a LOT more games that I was on the fence about. Yeah, I might return some, but some could be surprisingly fun and I would end up buying a game I normally wouldn't have wanted to take a gamble on.

 

[The_Mike]

Sony needs a better refund policy in general. I would buy a LOT more games that I was on the fence about. Yeah, I might return some, but some could be surprisingly fun and I would end up buying a game I normally wouldn't have wanted to take a gamble on.

As long as it doesn't hurt sales for Sony then they don't really have a reason to change it.

 

[Dust-by-Monday]

As long as it doesn't hurt sales for Sony then they don't really have a reason to change it.

That's what I'm saying! I would literally buy so many more games and probably keep some of them, but instead I barely ever buy games unless it's a triple A game that I already know I'll love. I've been burned too many times.

 

[AJUMP23]

 

[Javthusiast]

Level 69 only. get gud.

 

[Ribi]

Amusingly the Free Weekend did nothing. There are single player games on Steam with better user engagement.
If I owned Dice I would demand a blood sacrifice right now.

The best part was that free weekend was just a PR stunt but not how you think. Remember BF offered a free "trial" so you could play for a few hours. Essentially the game already had a free to play for limited time yet they decided to announce the free weekend as a PR stunt despite already offering a free option. Come at this free game for a limited time that you can alre play for free for a limited time.

 

[Majima Everywhere System]

I don't know much about these controversies as I haven't played a Battlefield game in 10 years or so. I am glad we seem to be nearing the tipping point for what is actually acceptable to sell to customers, however.

And that corporate strategy to follow some hero or nft initiative can have a swiftly disperse your community, taking the common man along with them.

The only play here is to drop the game, increase refunds, run a poll for the best BF, and do a remake with new maps.

 

[Dirk Benedict]

He dons both the Half Life 3 and the Steam Fruit of Eternal Sales.

 

[Fake]

Damn TLOU 2 hate trend continues

 

[chromhound]

Dice should have taken their time doing this game lol... Stop rushing games to please shareholders for God sake

 

[M1chl]

Good get fucked. I sold my gifted retail, arguably for a price which does not reflect the state of the game.

 

[ArtHands]

I want to point out this is not anything special, Steam will do this on occasion as long as you don't abuse it.

Essentially the first response is a bot and will tell you that you won't qualify for a refund because your over the limit, if you reopen and provide a solid reason like I have been stuck in the menu's for 4 hours trying to have the game not crash, or point out the game has been unplayable for months despite promises of patches a real human will read it at this point...

Now depending on who you get you will get a refund or not, but its completely on the human at the other end of the screen.

Its nothing new and has been known by PC players since steam refunds went up, I suspect however its getting press because a large amount of people have a genuine issue with the product.

I have had two products refunded as good will gestures, both where due to me just trying to get the game working without crashing for 4 hours or so, that's out of 18 years on steam though.

Exactly this. The 2 hours/2 weeks is just a guideline, not a rule. Steam do issue refund if you doesnt meet the requirement on a case by case basis. But your chance is higher if the game is notoriously buggy

 

[Jebron]

This is honestly the best outcome for Battlefield.