After months of leaks, EA and DICE have, at long last, officially unveiled Battlefield 2042. Though we won’t be seeing actual gameplay until the Xbox E3 presser on June 13, quite a few details on the shooter have still been revealed. Here, we’re going to round up the fifteen most crucial bits of information you know should know about Battlefield 2042.
SETTING
Battlefield 2042 is set in the near-future- you guessed it, in 2042. The world has been brought to the brink of war due to a global climate crisis, which has led to all sorts of problems across the globe, as you’d imagine, and the US and Russia are at each other’s throats due to food and fuel shortages. Meanwhile, players will play as non-patriated soldiers, called No-Pats, who don’t owe their allegiance to any single nation, and instead pick and choose who to fight for. In other words, mercenaries.
NO SINGLE PLAYER
In spite of its narrative heavy setting and premise, Battlefield 2042 isn’t going to put that stuff to use in a story- not in the traditional way, at least. DICE have confirmed that the shooter is going to be a multiplayer-only experience, with no single player campaign whatsoever. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 went down this route not so long ago as well, and that proved to be quite controversial- as will this, we imagine.
MAPS
Map design is key in any multiplayer game, and Battlefield in particular has excelled in this area on a consistent basis. So what should we expect from 2042? DICE have confirmed that the game is going to launch with seven maps. These will be massive arenas that will support up to 128 players- but only on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. On last-gen platforms, the experience is going to be somewhat truncated, with the game’s PS4 and Xbox One versions having reduced map sizes, and a player cap of 64 per match instead of 128.
MAP DETAILS
So what exactly are these seven maps? There’s quite a bit of variety here, based on what’s been confirmed so far. Breakaway is set in Antarctica, and has plenty of mountain ranges, mining facilities, and frozen tundras. At 5.9 square kilometers, it is the biggest Battlefield map to date. Then there’s Manifest, an industrial labyrinthe in Singapore full of containers (and cranes that will dynamically move those containers around), and is designed for more up-close-and-personal combat. Orbital is medium-sized map set in French Guinea, set around a rocket’s launch site. Then there’s Hourglass, set in Doha, Qatar, full of rolling sand dunes and vast open spaces, and perfect not only for long-range combat, but plenty of vehicular action.
MORE MAP DETAILS
What about the other three maps then? Well, those are quite interesting as well, at least on paper. Renewal, set in Egypt, has a massive wall running through it, essentially dividing the map in two halves- one, a high-tech futuristic farmland, and the other, full of canyons and run-down buildings. Kaleidoscope, set in an urban cityscape in South Korea, is the smallest map in Battlefield 2042, and puts an emphasis on verticality. Finally, there’s Discarded, set in Alang, India, characterized by water bodies aplenty and a large stealth ship, the interiors of which will be perfect for close-range combat.
MODES
And what modes will we be playing on these seven maps? Battlefield 2042 is dividing its multiplayer offerings into three separate experiences. The first of these is dubbed All-Out War, and features returning modes Conquest and Breakthrough. The second experience is Hazard Point, supposedly a very different mode from the two aforementioned ones, and described as “an all-new, high-stakes, squad-based game-type.” More details on this are yet to be revealed. Finally, the third multiplayer experience is being kept under wraps for now. Developed by DICE LA, it is described as “a love letter to Battlefield fans and one that long-time players will feel right at home with.” It’s going to be unveiled at EA Play Live on July 22. Oh, and it’s also been confirmed that Battlefield 2042 does not have a battle royale mode.
SPECIALISTS
One of the biggest new changes being made in Battlefield 2042 is the introduction of Specialists. Though they are based on Battlefield’s four classes, and do serve that purpose in the simplest of terms, the point of the Specialists seems to be to inject much greater customizability and personalization, and allowing players to build whatever kind of character they want from themselves. Each Specialist will have a unique Trait and Specialty, but beyond that, the rest of the loadout is going to be fully customizable. At launch, Battlefield 2042 is going to have four Specialists (though the plan is to eventually have a total of ten)- let’s take a look at who these four are.
SPECIALIST DETAILS
As mentioned earlier, each of the Specialists is based on the series’ tried and true four classes. Webset Mackay is based on the Assault class. He can move faster while aiming down sights, and is equipped with a grapple hook. Maria Falck is the Medic. She can revive downed enemies up to full health, and has a Syrette Pistol, which can fire healing syringes at friendlies from long range. When fired at enemies, the syringes do damage. Then there’s Wikus “Casper” Van Daele, the Recon. He has a movement sensor that alerts the player when an enemy is approaching you, and he can OV-P Recon Drone, which can designate targets for lock-on weapons, spot enemies, and even fire EMP blasts. Finally, there’s Pyotr “Boris” Guskovsky, the Support. He has a sentry gun that automatically spots and attacks enemies around it, and he can immediately spot an enemy as soon as the sentry gun locks on to them.
WEAPONS, GADGETS, AND VEHICLES
With the syringe gun, the sentry gun, the grapple hook, and the recon drone, there’s clearly plenty of gadgets to use in Battlefield 2042- but that’s not it. You can also use the wingsuit to glide and fly across maps, while players can also summon a robotic dog to fight by your side. Meanwhile, vehicles are, of course, going to have a major role to play as well, and these can also be summoned using an in-game tablet. DICE is promising a wide variety of completely new vehicles for the game. We saw a few of these in the reveal trailer, but more details are yet to be shared. Interestingly enough, it’s been confirmed that weapons, gadgets, and vehicles can all be customized within and during battles.
DYNAMIC EVENTS
Something that’s going to throw an interesting wrench into pretty much every multiplayer match in Battlefield 2042 is dynamic events, which will be major map-altering things that may or may not happen during a match, and will occur dynamically. Each map will also have its own unique event. A few examples have been shared so far. In Hourglass, for instance, you’ll have to contend with massive sandstorms. In Kaleidoscope, you might be caught in the middle of deadly tornados. Meanwhile, in Orbital, there’s a rocket that’ll be taking off in the background, and you can have an impact on whether or not that takeoff goes well.
SEASONS
Battlefield 2042 is handling its post-launch support in a seasonal structure, which might be an industry staple, but is new this season. Each season will last about three months, which means there’s going to be four seasons per year, and there will be new content added to the game with each season. Each season will also bring a new battle pass, which, as is always the case with battle passes, will have both, free and paid tiers.
YEAR 1
While the full extent of new content that will be added to Battlefield 2042 across its first year will obviously not be known until later on, DICE have revealed some details on what two expect. Over the course of Year 1’s four seasons, each season will add a new Specialist and a new battle pass. While the paid battle passes will focus on cosmetics, everything else will be part of the free tiers, so at least it’s not going to be pay-to-win. Meanwhile, Year 1 is is also going to include at least three Epic skin bundles, called Blistered Earth, Tempest, and Cold Blood.
PRICE
This one is a bit of a bummer, even though it isn’t unsurprising (because, you know, EA). While Battlefield 6 will cost $59.99 on PS4 and Xbox One, it is going to be costlier on current-gen consoles, costing $69.99 on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Considering the fact that it has no single player campaign, that price is going to be a little hard to swallow for some.
GOLD AND ULTIMATE EDITIONS
As you’d expect, Battlefield 2042 is also going to give you the option to purchase Gold or Ultimate Editions. In the Gold Edition, you’ll get the Year 1 Pass on top of the base game itself. Meanwhile, in the Ultimate Edition, you will get all of that, as well as the Midnight Ultimate Bundle, which includes the Shadow Stalker Legendary outfit, the Obsidian Legendary weapon skin, and the Onyx Legendary vehicle skin. Also included is an official artbook and an exclusive digital soundtrack. The Gold Edition will cost $89.99 on PC and $99.99 on consoles, while the Ultimate Edition will cost $109.99 on PC or $119.99 on consoles. Anyone who pre-orders any version of the game will also get the Pre-Order Pack, which includes open beta early access, the Baku ACB-90 melee takedown knife, the Mr. Chompy Epic weapon charm, the Landfall player card background, and the Old Guard tag.
LAUNCH
Battlefield 2042 is launching on October 22 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC, but in true EA fashion, there are ways to jump in before that. If you pre-order any edition of the game, including the standard edition, you’ll get access a full week before launch, on October 15. Meanwhile, EA Play subscribers will also get a 10-hour trial of the game starting on October 15.