BATTLEFIELD is back after a three-year break, with Battlefield 2042 launching this November. It will not feature a single-player campaign, which is a departure from previous titles.
DICE is out to do things differently, so let’s dive into the upcoming series installment to check out what’s in store.
Battlefield 2042 – release date
Battlefield 2042 is the first title in the franchise since 2018’s Battlefield 5.
Fans will have high expectations due to the large gap between the annual series.
The original release date was October 22, but it has been revealed that the game will be delayed due to COVID-19’s difficulties.
The Battlefield 2042 release date for 2020 is Friday, November 19, 2021.
It will be available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. It will also be available for Xbox One and PS4 consoles. However, it won’t have the same massive player count.
Cross-gen play will not be possible due to the limitations of last-gen consoles. The maximum player count is 64.
Battlefield 2042 Beta
EA has finally announced the dates for the Battlefield 2042 beta, and they’re in line with recent rumors.
The new trailer for Battlefield 2042 Beta is available at the top of this page. It looks fantastically frantic.
EA Play subscriptions and pre-orders are both ways to get early access.
Here’s when you can dive in – times given are for all platforms:
- Preload
- October 5 at 12am PST / 3am EST / 8am BST / 7am UTC
- Early Access
- October 6 – October 7 at 12am PST / 3am EST / 8am BST / 7am UTC
- Open beta
- October 8 – October 9 at 12am PST / 3am EST / 8am BST / 7am UTC
It’s worth noting that a PS Plus subscription isn’t required to participate in the beta.
However, Xbox players must have an active Xbox Live Gold subscription.
Battlefield 2042 gameplay
With no campaign mode this year, Battlefield 2042 is all-out multiplayer warfare.
The most significant change is the increase in player count, which will now be 128-players strong.
While the series’ traditional environmental destruction isn’t changing, it’s being enhanced by dynamic weather and environmental hazards.
The ever-changing battle conditions and dynamic events such as tornadoes will make things even more hectic. This will allow players and vehicles to fly across the map.
Specialize allows for more customization when it comes to squads and players.
While there are four classes of Specialists, they each have a unique Specialty/Trait. All other aspects can be modified to your heart’s content.
At launch, there were 10 Specialists. Each season after release, a new specialist is added. Battlefield, unlike Call of Duty, has not succumbed to battle royale.
Instead, we’re getting three modes to dip into:
- All-Out Warfare
- Battlefield Hazard Zone
- Battlefield Portal
All-Out Warfare is where veteran players can go to find the traditional modes like Conquest, and Breakthrough, with the beefed-up player, counts.
Battlefield Hazard Zone is described as a “high-stakes multiplayer experience” for squads.
There are no more details on it for now, but Twitter tipster Tom Henderson says it’s a “mix between Escape from Tarkov & Hunt Showdown”.
Battlefield Portal should resonate with fans, letting them play “reimagined classics” like Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Battlefield 1942, and Battlefield 3.
Although it is not a map editor you can still create, share and play custom Battlefield mode.
Battlefield 2042 maps
Diving into the maps should be all kinds of fun, thanks to the cast array of vehicular options.
There’s also a new call-in system that will bring a vehicle directly to you. This means no more navigating the map and fighting over one quadbike.
The maps themselves have been designed to offer “distinct combat areas” that will require players to utilize strategic approaches for picking off their enemies.
The destruction continues to spread to map pieces that can alter the landscape, just like in previous entries.
So far, EA has shared details of seven maps, which you can check out below:
- Hourglass: Doha, Qatar. You will fight in a city that has been desertified. As you fight for control of the convoy that is trapped in shifting sands, massive dust and sandstorms keep rolling in.
- Discarded: Alang, India. Parts of colossal vessels that were left on the beaches along a strategic stretch of India’s West Coast are being removed. While fighting among the hulls, adapt to deadly storms.
- Manifest: Brani Island, Singapore. This key location is vital for American supply lines. Be on the lookout for tropical tornadoes, and navigate through maze-like cargo container passageways.
- Kaleidoscope: Songdo, South Korea. Zipline between skyscrapers in a modern metropolis in South Korea and fight for your life among the squares around the city’s famous data center.
- Orbital: Kourou, French Guiana. As you battle around the rocket launch site, it’s a race against the clock and hostile conditions. This dynamic map is subject to enemy fire as well as upcoming storms.
- Breakaway: Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. Pay attention to this dynamic map. The area has been transformed by oil extraction into a strategic hotspot. Use destructible fuel tanks or silos to create permanent fires and debris fields.
- Renewal: Eastern Desert, Egypt. On this map, a giant wall is a focal point. It was constructed to protect rich, agriculturally-oriented areas. Prepare for the harsh conditions, deploy, secure the massive gates and access points in the wall.
You can pre-order it through EA’s website, here.