DICE general manager Oskar Gabrielson is responding to a segment of fans who are outraged that a woman with a prosthetic limb appeared in a combat scene in the reveal trailer for Battlefield V on Wednesday. On Twitter, the studio boss made it clear that it won’t remove women due to these reactions.
Since the Wednesday reveal, a group of fans have taken to social media and forums like Reddit to scream at DICE that a World War II game cannot feel immersive if it has a woman with a “weird bionic arm.” The developer has since confirmed that the character in question was the result of Battlefield V’s character-customization features, and the U.S. Army can confirm the existence of prosthetic limbs during WWII (some of y’all need to read a book).
But now Gabrielson is expanding his response to the reaction.
“First, let me be clear about one thing,” Gabrielson wrote on Twitter. “Player choice and female playable characters are here to stay. We want Battlefield V to represent all those who were a part of the greatest drama in human history, and to give players choice to choose and customize the characters they play with.”
Gabrielson went on to say that DICE is committed to making a game and a service that is inclusive and diverse, but he also said that the studio’s first focus is on making something fun. He also countered the #notmybattlefield hashtag that fans are using on Twitter to freak out about political correctness and “social justice warriors” ruining their manly man games for men.
The Battlefield sandbox has always been about playing the way you want. Like attempting to fit three players on a galloping horse, with flamethrowers. With BFV you also get the chance to play as who you want. This is #everyonesbattlefield. pic.twitter.com/jZkzSRjIwL
— Oskar Gabrielson (@ogabrielson) May 25, 2018
The DICE general manager finished by promising to show off more of the multiplayer during the upcoming EA Play event that is adjacent to the Electronic Entertainment Expo trade show in Los Angeles next month. But the company has also already shown off a lot of the game during a closed media event on Tuesday, May 22, that I attended. I’m excited about what I saw, and I think this looks like the most fascinating Battlefield game in a long time.
You can see all the reasons we’re excited about it right here.