Crunch Time

You heard correct. DICE has removed the fully automatic M16A3 from Battlefield 4 and have replaced it with the semi-automatic M16A4. For weeks following Gamescom people have been asking “What will beat the M16?” and “Can the M16 be beaten in Battlefield 4?” and now the answer is yes, because it is not in the game.

If you remember in my last M16 article I wrote about how people were trying their hardest to have the M16A3 nerfed in Battlefield 3 and that there were daily posts about how it is over powered. Well, once again the pendulum has swung and there are posts and petitions and pleas of mercy to bring back the M16A3.

I can understand that people want a certain weapon in a video game. Everyone has a favorite and probably even the desire to own the actual thing. This is the very reason why we usually see the AK-47, M1911, M4, and G36 variants time and time again. Even the P90 gets added to just about every FPS game in recent memory. There is nothing wrong for wanting a specific weapon in a game. You want the next game to have more features and be “more complete” than previous titles.

Some of the arguments for putting the M16A3 back have been a little over the top though. Such as:

• People need a good gun to play fair.
• Not having the M16A3 will ruin competitive gameplay.
• DICE is listening to the whiners again and ruined BF4.
• If you don’t put the M16A3 back in the game, I am cancelling my pre-order.

You can’t have the arguments for the M16A3 without posting the some of the ones agains:

• Battlefield will be fair and balanced again.
• This will add more diversity to the weapon used.
• This will get rid of all the “try hards”.
• This will bring “skill” back to Battlefield

As you can see there are some good, and bad, reasons to have or not have the M16A3 in Battlefield.

My take on all this? It doesn’t matter. I am not saying that my opinion doesn’t matter. I like to think that what I say makes sense and people can see why. What I am saying is that there is an M16 in Battlefield 4 and regardless of the A3 variant being in the game, or not, will not make a difference. Why? Well, here is why:

1. DICE has changed all the weapons in Battlefield 4. So the weapon you know and love in BF3 will probably not be the same in BF4.
2. DICE has changed suppression in Battlefield 4. This will change how people shoot and when.
3. DICE has added more customization to weapons in Battlefield 4. Again, this changes how all the weapons behave and their stats.
4. In every FPS game one weapon rises to the top. It just doesn’t matter as the community will try everything out and find the one weapon that fits most scenarios.

The M16A3 can easily be replaced. It is not game breaking or all altering that it is not in Battlefield 4. It is not overpowered in BF3 and Battlefield is just another game that can be manipulated in many different ways based on configuration, perks, stats, and unlocks. A new gun will rise out of the black hole that the M16A3 left and take the place as new “noob try hard weapon of the year”. Just watch the Battlelog forums come beta time and see what gun is “OP” and needs to be nerfed. You will see the cycle repeat itself.