Battlefield 2042 has suffered ongoing issues since its launch in November 2021, with EA now admitting that the first-person shooter "did not meet expectations".
In the company's recent Q3 earnings call (via The Verge ), CEO Andrew Wilson addressed Battlefield 2042 's turbulent last few months, calling the game "ambitious" but explaining that developing it during the Covid-19 pandemic - which meant its teams had to work from home - was "challenging".
"Through our processes for testing and preparation, we believed the experience was ready to be put in our players’ hands," Wilson said. "We launched with strong stability; however, as more players experienced the full game, it became clear there were unanticipated performance issues that we would need to address. Some of the design choices we made with the game also did not resonate with everyone in our community."
EA recently announced it is delaying Season One of Battlefield 2042 , to implement bug fixes and gameplay improvements, which are scheduled to roll out in the coming months in a set of updates.
"We are fully committed to realizing the full potential of this game, and fully committed to our Battlefield fans," Wilson said about the delay and upcoming improvements. "We have already implemented a series of major updates to the game, and there is more to be done. Players can expect meaningful updates to continue in the weeks ahead, and we are shifting the first season of live service content to early summer as we work closely with our community to evolve and improve the core experience in Battlefield 2042."
Analysis: is it too little too late?
Battlefield 2042 has been plagued with issues since its release back in November 2021. The latest entry in the long-running first-person shooter series looked to shake up the series in a meaningful and innovative way, introduce 128-player maps, new modes and a dynamic weather system. Instead, however, players' focus has very much been on the bugs and to game-breaking glitches that haunt the game.
And while the shake-up to the formula could have been a success, the Battlefield 2042 subreddit is inundated with posts raising issues about the game itself, including the lack of single-player campaign (but increased pricing), the map sizes, Specialists replacing classes and general performance issues.
EA's commitment to improving the game is welcome news, but it's possible it's too little too late for Battlefield 2042 unless developer EA Dice can do enough to garner favor from players once again.
She-Hulk rumor hints at Marvel Disney Plus show release delay
Marvel Studios' She-Hulk may see its release date pushed back to early 2023, according to a new rumor.
Per Reddit user lyserg16 , She-Hulk might not arrive on Disney Plus until next year, with the Marvel TV show reportedly suffering from a number of visual effects (VFX) related issues.
At the moment, lyserg16 claims that the Marvel Phase 4 project is still on track for a late 2022 launch. However, the Redditor suggests that She-Hulk may have to be delayed until January 2023, with VFX complications the reason behind the potential hold-up.
Ordinarily, we would suggest that such speculation should be taken with a giant heaping of salt, but there may be some truth to lyserg16's latest leak. Back in spring 2020, lyserg16 took to Reddit to post a number of big WandaVision spoilers – leaked information, such as Kathryn Hahn's Agatha Harkness being the show's major villain, that proved to be correct. Based on lyserg16's track record, then, it seems that there's an element of truth to their latest leak.
Another prominent Marvel leaker – KC Walsh – has seemingly backed up those claims, too. Asked by a Twitter follower if they had heard of a possible release delay, Walsh initially replied "no". However, Walsh went on to suggest that their source had mentioned VFX problems as a "headache" throughout She-Hulk's post-production phase – further evidence that all may not be well with its development.
We've reached out to Disney for comment on this She-Hulk rumor and we'll update this article if we hear back.
Billed as a 10-episode legal comedy drama, She-Hulk will star Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters, the cousin of Bruce Banner/Hulk and a lawyer who specializes in cases involving superpowered beings.
In the comics, Walters is critically injured in a shooting and receives a blood transfusion from Banner to save her life. Unsurprisingly, Walters develops superpowers similar to Hulk's, enabling her to fight crime in two fronts – that being, in the courtroom and on the streets. Expect a similar origin story to play out in the superhero's TV show whenever it arrives.
Analysis: would She-Hulk's rumored delay be such a bad idea?
Right now, She-Hulk is one of potentially six Marvel TV shows set to land on Disney Plus in 2022.
Currently, Moon Knight is halfway through its episodic run on the streaming platform – check out our episode 3 Easter egg article while you're here – and will be followed by Ms Marvel on June 8. She-Hulk, Secret Invasion , What If...? season 2, and I Am Groot are all expected to land on Disney Plus this year, too.
Meanwhile, two TV specials are also set to launch on Disney's streaming service in 2022. A Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday special should be released in December, while a Halloween special based on one of Moon Knight's comic book foes – Werewolf By Night – is expected to arrive in October.
Add in three Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films in Doctor Strange 2 , Thor: Love and Thunder , and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – all of which will launch exclusively in theaters – and Marvel's 2022 slate is looking absolutely stacked.
With up to 11 projects set to air in theaters and on Disney Plus in 2022, would a delayed release for She-Hulk be such a bad thing? Not necessarily. She-Hulk is likely to be a VFX-heavy show – due to the number of CGI superpowered characters it may contain – so its post-production phase is sure to be a drawn-out affair. If Marvel Studios needs more time to ensure that She-Hulk's VFX is up to the high standards fan usually expect from a Marvel movie or TV series, we're happy to wait longer for its arrival.
The problem, though, is that Marvel is likely pushing ahead with its 2023 slate already. Next year, we'll see The Marvels, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania debut in theaters. Additionally, four other MCU TV shows – Ironheart, Armor Wars, Echo, and an untitled Wakanda series – are all due to start filming over the next 12 months ahead of possible 2023 releases.
If She-Hulk is delayed, Marvel may have to move its Phase 4 TV slate around to accommodate it. Given how many projects it has in the pipeline, that wouldn't be ideal, particularly as Marvel announced another batch of TV projects during the Disney Plus Day celebrations in November 2021 .
Hopefully, it won't be too long before Marvel (and Disney) confirm if She-Hulk will be released this year. Whether it does or not, you'll be the first to know.
Canon's next lens could be the versatile prime fans are waiting for
Canon fans could soon be treated one of the main lenses they've been waiting for, with fresh rumors predicting the long-awaited arrival of an RF 35mm f/1.2L USM later this year.
A versatile 35mm f/1.2L lens has been on the wishlist of all kinds of keen photographers since the dawn of the Canon EOS R system. And according to the usually reliable Canon Rumors , the lens will "be hitting dealers later in Q3 of 2022".
That means we should see the lens launch sometime between July and September, with the latter part of that period looking more likely.
Canon Rumors says there's a chance that the lens will have a maximum aperture of f/1.4 rather than f/1.2, which would make it smaller and cheaper than an f/1.2 version, but this is unlikely to make much difference to its popularity.
Bright 35mm lenses are popular because they're extremely versatile, while 'L' lenses (which stands for 'luxury') offer the quality that pros and keen amateurs need. A 35mm focal length is suitable for shooting portraits, particularly environmental ones that include background interest, as well as street photography, travel, landscapes and weddings.
An f/1.2 or f/1.4 aperture, meanwhile, offers serious light-gathering powers that means the lens will be capable of attractively blurring backgrounds to help highlight subjects, and that image quality will be maintained in low-light situations. The L-Series label would also indicate professional build and optical quality.
Canon's mirrorless cameras are currently lacking bright, prime lenses at wider focal lengths, with many photographers instead adapting their older EF versions that were designed for DSLRs. A new version for Canon RF-mount cameras should deliver improved image quality and autofocus performance, for a price.
The only question is how widely available the RF 35mm f/1.2L USM (or f/1.4) will be when it launches, with supply chain issues and chip shortages currently hitting the production of both mirrorless cameras and lenses for those cameras.
Analysis: camera giants optimize their primes
Canon recently made the bold statement that it intends to expand its RF lenses for mirrorless cameras "at the same pace" as it has done recently for the next four years – which would mean around eight new lenses a year up to 2026.
This number will include super-niche lenses like the RF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM and RF 1200mm f/8L IS USM we saw announced in February, so it's good to hear that more mainstream (if pricey) options like the RF 35mm f/1.2L USM are likely en route.
If the lens does have an f/1.2 rather than f/1.4 maximum aperture, it would certainly be pricey option. Canon's RF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens, for example, currently costs $2,299 / £2,589 / AU$3,799.
Despite this, an RF 35mm f/1.2L USM would still likely prove extremely popular, with its versatility and quality making for a tempting combination. It would also be an important launch for Canon, as Sony already has the excellent Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM lens for its mirrorless cameras, alongside third-party options from the likes of Sigma.
As Canon Rumors says, the long wait for the RF 35mm f/1.2 means that "Canon will sell as many as they can make for a long while", so competition is expected to be fierce if the announcement does happen later this year. If you're a Canon EOS R owner who's been pining for a 35mm prime, get ready to start saving.