Titanfall’s comparatively low maximum player count came about as a direct result of the freedom of movement it re-introduces to the shooter genre.
Speaking with Polygon, lead designer Justin Hendry said that the fact that players can move in all directions across open maps means anything higher than 12 players is too chaotic.
“The higher the player count, the more uncomfortable the game gets,” he said.
“Unlike in most games where you can sit there and guard the two ways in, in Titanfall the guy can come in through the window right behind you, he can come from the window to your left, he can come from straight ahead, he can come in from the stairway and he can come in from the doorway, or whatever.
“Essentially there are five directions you can get killed from and the higher that player count, the more likely you are to get killed from behind and the more difficult it is to kind of manage your surroundings.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Hendry confirmed that along with AI and Titan mechs maps can play host to around 50 combatants. He stressed that Titanfall doesn’t play like other shooters, and shouldn’t be judged by those standards; if you go in looking to play a Call of Duty clone, you might not enjoy yourself.
