Last week, following the reveal of Battlefield V, there was a small section of the crowd which responded to the inclusion of playable female characters with predictable ire. Despite their collective bluster, though, DICE has stood by its proverbial guns and won't be swayed by the toxicity of a vocal minority.
Battlefield's executive producer Aleksander Grøndal was among those who initially responded , and since then DICE general manager Oskar Gabrielson has also pitched in with some thoughts on the matter.
"First, let me be clear about one thing. Player choice and female playable characters are here to stay," Gabrielson wrote over on Twitter.
"We want Battlefield 5 to represent all those who were a part of the greatest drama in human history, and give players choice to choose and customize the characters they play with," Gabrielson added later.
"Our commitment as a studio is to do everything we can to create games that are inclusive and diverse. We always set out to push boundaries and deliver unexpected experiences. But above all, our games must be fun!"
Battlefield V is heading to PC, PS4 and Xbox One on October 19 (although you can get it earlier via EA Access or by buying certain editions of the game). You can read more about the new additions coming to the game by hitting this link.