DICE boss says Battlefield V's women are here to stay

The boss of DICE has said "player choice and female playable characters are here to stay" after some people said they were upset with Battlefield V letting users play as a woman in the World War 2-set shooter.

Women feature heavily in Battlefield V's marketing material, in the game's debut trailer, in posters at reveal events and on the cover of the box. You can also play as a woman in the game.

Some people are upset by this, but in a strongly-worded statement issued to Twitter, DICE GM Oskar Gabrielson dismissed the complaints.

"First, let me be clear about one thing," he said. "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 give players choice to choose and customise the characters they play with."

Some people say they're upset about women in Battlefield V because it's not "historically accurate". Gabrielson said this misses the point of the series.

"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!

"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."

For more, check out Martin's Battlefield V preview and his interview with DICE creative director Lars Gustavsson.