Despite releasing with a barrage of bullets, explosions, and, yes, robot arms, the big talking point (for a vocal minority, let’s be clear on this) was the inclusion of female soldiers in Battlefield 5. It’s ahistorical, some cried, while others felt aggrieved at the supposed box-ticking that EA and DICE were complying with by putting a female character on the game’s front cover. DICE General Manager, Oskar Gabrielson, however, completely disagrees with that point-of-view
Revealing his thoughts on Twitter, the DICE GM felt that the studio’s remit is to “do everything we can to create games that are inclusive and diverse.”
First, let me be clear about one thing. Player choice and female playable characters are here to stay. pic.twitter.com/fvi9riUZDM
— Oskar Gabrielson (@ogabrielson) May 25, 2018
Gabrielson, though, wasn’t about to tip-toe around the thorny issue that’s been in the game’s side from minute one. Female playable characters are “here to stay,” says Gabrielson unequivocally.
As if to poke fun at the ludicrousness of the ‘unrealistic’ aspect of putting a woman in Battlefield 5, Gabrielson also including a GIF of three soldiers on horseback going buck wild with a flamethrower. How’s that for realism?
Away from the controversy, Gabrielson also revealed that EA Play – which takes place from June 9-11 in LA during E3 weekend – would be the place to be for those who want a deeper look at Battlefield 5 multiplayer. There will even be an opportunity for the public to get their hands on the multiplayer for the very first time. With online shooters such as this, the proof is very much in the propane-fuelled pudding; time will tell if it holds up to scrutiny or whether the discourse about whether a woman should appear in a virtual war game will be the overshadowing it as we head towards October’s release date. Here’s hoping it’s the former.
