14EA’s latest title in the Battlefield franchise will be Battlefield 2042, and while much of the game will be the same Battlefield fans know and love, there will also be some new things entering the mix.
New features, of course, but also a new setting, new modes, and dare we say it an entirely new experience. Since the game is still months away EA hasn’t revealed everything about the game yet. It still plans to show off one of the new game modes later this year.
That being said there is still plenty to know about the game right now. Which is why we’re putting together this guide on it. This post will also be updated periodically as new information is made available.
What is Battlefield 2042?
A question that won’t really need to be answered for fans, but if you’re new to the Battlefield franchise or just haven’t played in a while, this should help clear things up.
Battlefield 2042 is the latest first-person shooter in the series coming from EA and DICE. It features frantic multiplayer gameplay and action-packed combat. There’s also new modes and existing ones are returning to ensure that players of past games will have access to their favorite activities.
As a first-person shooter, Battlefield 2042 will feature a range of different weapons for players to use, but it also includes loads of vehicle-based combat, which has been a staple throughout the Battlefield series.
Will there be a single-player campaign?
The short answer is no. The long answer is also no. According to EA and DICE, instead of splitting the development team into different segments and having some of them focus on the campaign, the decision was made to scrap the campaign entirely. This way the team could focus on what it does best, which is make a really good multiplayer experience.
The developers know that they do a better job with multiplayer than with the single-player experience, and they’re not ashamed of that. By putting all of the effort into a multiplayer experience with various modes, players can expect an exceptionally polished game. And judging by some of the videos that have been shown thus far, the game is looking pretty good.
Will it be everything players want and more? Who knows. But it’s definitely shaping up to be a wild ride that will be fun to play over and over and over.
What are the gameplay modes in Battlefield 2042?
Altogether there are four game modes that will be available in this game. At least, four that have been confirmed. There’s always a chance that EA and DICE could release more modes in the future. Though it seems likely that the game will launch with just these first four modes.
Conquest
The first of the four modes is Conquest. A mode that fans of previous Battlefield games should be familiar with since this isn’t the first game it’s been in. In Conquest, players will drop into a large-scale sandbox mode with up to 64 players on Xbox One and PS4, and up to 128 players on Xbox Series X / S, PS5, and PC.
While this mode will contain plenty of elements, the main goal in Conquest is to ensure that your team will have the most spawn tickets left at the end of the match. And with up to 128 players this time that’s going to be easier said than done.
Players should also be aware that individual control points have been replaced. Instead, Conquest now has sever flags at numerous sectors throughout the map.
Breakthrough
The next mode in the game is Breakthrough. In Breakthrough, there will be two teams that are broken up into several large-scale sectors throughout the map. One team will defend while the other team will attack.
EA says that it has altered the way Breakthrough plays. Now there will be multiple opportunities for attackers to capture points. Opening up possibilities for more strategic takeovers to secure victory of the match.
Hazard Zone
EA hasn’t said a whole lot about this mode yet. But you can glean a baseline understanding of the mode based on the small amount of details that EA has released. Some of the footage in the cinematic and gameplay trailers as well as the name of the mode and other information on the game’s landing page help to paint the picture.
Hazard Zone is described as “an intense experience that combine edge-of-your-seat gameplay with the best of the Battlefield sandbox.” While we don’t know everything about Hazard Zone yet, it’ll probably another large-scale battle mode. This will also be the mode that introduces the dynamic weather events like tornadoes and giant lightning storms.
Forcing players to deal with not only the enemy team, but attempt to avoid the oncoming dangers of these massive storms. There are surely more features included in this mode. But for now this is about all EA has shared.
Update: October 14, 2021
EA has just revealed Battlefield Hazard Zone, the last of the four modes coming to Battlefield 2042. It’s a high-stakes recovery mission that puts players in teams of four, with an objective to recover a series of data drive scattered throughout the map. Players and their teams must find all the drives and complete extraction before other enemy teams, and before the storm sets in.
Portal
The last of the four modes is a new mode called Portal, which EA just revealed as part of EA Play Live. It’s a mode that allows players to mix content from various Battlefield games, including Battlefield Bad Company 2, Battlefield 1942, Battlefield 3, and Battlefield 2042 to create entirely new game modes that are community-driven.
It features things like an advanced logic editor that players can tinker with, as well as maps from all of those games. Players can also intermix teams from all four games. So as an example, you could in theory set up a mode where one team is from Bad Company 2 and the other is from Battlefield 2042.
You can also set things up to where each team starts with random loadouts. And when players die, they respawn with another random weapon they didn’t have before. Another crazy combination sees an entire team of robots playing against a single person controlling a tank.
Portal will be available at launch with the game this Fall. Complete with a fairly big collection of pre-made modes.
Will there be vehicles like in other Battlefield titles?
There will definitely be vehicles in this game. And you can even check out some of the possible scenarios you may encounter in the gameplay trailer. Which you can view above.
From tanks to helicopters, you can take to the land or take to the skies. The game will even feature hovercrafts to help you skip across small bodies of water and perhaps take your enemies by surprise.
Basically be prepared for anything. As one moment you may be feeling pretty accomplished with the match swinging in your favor. And the next you could be getting mowed down by jets passing overhead.
Battlefield 2042 takes a new approach to vehicles by adding what EA is calling the Vehicle call-in system, which lets you air drop vehicles into the map. What’s more is that you can airdrop them wherever you are instead of having to spawn into them.
Vehicles include tanks, hovercrafts, jets, troop carriers, armored cars, and helicopters.
Will Battlefield 2042 have a story?
While EA and DICE won’t be inserting a campaign mode into the game, it will have a story. In fact there’s already a narrative that the writing team has put together.
Battlefield 2042 tells the story of a new group of individuals who are fighting a war for the US and Russia. The game essentially is about these people. It’s their story. Referred to as No-Pats and the Displaced, these individuals more or less have no patriotic allegiances.
They’re a mix of soldiers, engineers, farmers, and regular everyday people. Just looking for a place to fit in and most of all a way to survive like everyone else. They come to be after a streak of catastrophic events. Starting with things like rising sea levels and collapsing economies in 2031. Things get worse after the world’s first category 6 storm, Hurricane Zeta, in 2033.
This storm leads to global flooding, food and fuel shortages, and a second great depression in 2034. Then in 2035 the European Union disbands after Germany’s collapse.
In 2037 things begin to settle into a “new normal.” But there are also 1.2 billion people who can’t be repatriated. The US and Russia are now the last two superpowers. Tensions rise and both are headed towards a large-scale war.
These tensions only intensify with a global blackout that causes a mass collapse of communication grids. Supply chains seize up, internet and navigation are all but destroyed, and the world has no way to forecast storms.
The US and Russia are now fighting more than ever for control, and are using No-Pats to fight a shadow war for them so they have the ability to deny having any involvement. You are the No-Pats. And you simply want to survive.
An evolving narrative
In addition to the story so far in Battlefield 2042, the game will also have an evolving narrative. EA and DICE have a vision for the game that they hope will keep players engaged for years to come.
As part of that vision, the game will have seasons that last for around three months each. And each season will see new bits and pieces of the story unfold over time. This evolving narrative should help keep players interested. Even if they aren’t logging in to play the game every single day.
It’s also a nice way to feed players who enjoy the story aspect of games, especially since there will be no solo campaign mode. Where a game’s story is usually found. EA has also now released a short film called Exodus that tells the story of what triggers Battlefield 2042’s all out war. You can watch this below.
Meet the specialists in Battlefield 2042
The game will feature a collection of different specialists that come with unique abilities. Each specialist also has their own story which contributes to the overarching narrative of the game. So playing as all the specialists will help build the story out even more.0
Eventually there will be a wide array of different specialists to choose from. But from the game’s launch later this year players will be able to choose from 10 unique specialists. So far EA has shared details on just four of them.
You can view images of those four specialists in the gallery above. But here’s a breakdown with a little more detail. Each specialist will have both a unique trait and a unique specialty. Specialists will also be broken up into four different class types. Which include Assault, Engineer, Recon, and Support.
The unique traits and specialties from each specialist is what determines which class type they fit into. Players also now have more freedom with loadouts. As class types are no longer restrictive on what weapons you can equip in each slot. If you’re an assault type specialist but you prefer a sniper, then use a sniper.
You’ll be able to choose which primary, secondary and throwable you want to equip and stick with it. Don’t like it anymore? That’s fine. Choose something else. There’s no limits anymore. You can read a little bit more about each of the first four specialists and their abilities below.
Mackay
Mackay embodies the assault class with his capability to move around the map quickly and engage the enemy. His trait is Nimble, which lets him avoid movement penalties when aiming down sights or ziplining.
His specialty is the grappling hook, which when paired with the Nimble trait can help him get to areas of the map that other players have more difficulty getting to. For instance, players can use Mackay’s grappling hook to launch up to higher points of structures for vantage points, or to take out an enemy who may be sniping players from a distance.
Casper
Casper the friendly ghost. Except this Casper isn’t really a ghost and he’s hardly friendly. Unless he’s on your team, that is. Casper is in the Recon class. As such, he’s the perfect specialist for those who like to seek out unseen enemies and plot out the best entry points into heavily defended areas.
His specialty is the OV-P Recon Drone, which lets players identify enemy locations and detonate EMP blasts. You can also use the drone to set lock-on targets for other players using lock-on weapons. His trait is Movement Sensor, which alerts him to enemies who are approaching his location. The trait works both when he’s piloting the drone and when he’s walking around on foot.
Falck
If you prefer to heal more than you hurt, take on the role of Maria Falck. As a specialist she falls into the Support class type. Her specialty is the S21 Syrette Pistol which fires medical syringes with a few different abilities. The syringes can heal enemies from afar, and they can revive friendlies that have fallen on the Battlefield. They can also damage enemies if you’re in a pinch.
Falck’s trait is Combat Surgeon, which lets players revive their downed allies with a full health bar. A definite necessity in any mode.
Boris
Boris falls under the Engineer class type, and his specialty is the SG-36 Sentry Gun. Need to lay down some cover fire for your teammates or just set up a defensive perimeter? Make sure Boris is on your team.
Boris’s trait is Sentry Operator, which makes his sentry gun more effective if he’s standing near it. Enemies near the sentry gun are also locked onto and can then be spotted by Boris. Enabling him to get the drop on enemies that are nearby.
Irish
Kimble ‘Irish’ Graves is another engineer with some potentially very useful abilities. His trait is called Veteran, and it allows him to “dig in and stay alive” according to EA’s description. It will also enable him to spawn in every time with a small amount of body armor. Which he can replenish by picking up the ammo packs from dead enemies. Worth noting though is that the ammo packs have to be from enemies that you have personally killed playing as Irish.
His specialty is called Fortification System. This will be your way to help yourself or the team by dropping into two important tools with which to use at your discretion. The first being the DCS Deployable Cover. This is a protective barrier that can be placed anywhere on the map as long as it’s a flat surface. Hide behind it to protect yourself and allies from incoming enemy fire.
Multiple barriers can be placed around the map as well, and it makes for a perfect stop gap to give you time to revive a fallen ally. The barrier does have its own health pool though and will not last forever. So use it wisely.
The other tool is called the APS-36 Shootdown Sentinel. You’ll want to use this to protect yourself from explosive ordinance. Such as grenades and rockets. This can be placed on most flat surfaces within the map, and turns all explosives that come within range into a cloud of smoke to nullify damage. You could also use this to protect vehicles from incoming explosive damage. Although it is susceptible to hacking and EMPs.
Navin Rao
Navin is the second Recon specialist in the game and is the go-to choice if you like to tinker with electronics to give you and your team an edge.
His specialty is called Cyber Warfare Suite, and allows you to hack both enemies in-game as well as enemy equipment and vehicles. So you could potentially use it to hack jets or helicopters and grab a few extra seconds to fire off a rocket.
When it comes to his trait, Trojan Network, you can use this ability to send out a hack and then kill a hacked target. If there are any enemies nearby the hacked target you just took down, they’ll be revealed on-screen.
Santiago “Dozer” Espinoza
If you prefer to go in hot then you probably want to choose an assault class. And what better choice to make than Santiago? With Santiago, you get the best of both offense and defense thanks to his Specialty – the SOB-8 Ballistic Shield, which allows you to whip out and carry a giant shield to protect you from incoming bullet fire.
You’ll move slower, but you can avoid incoming damage while advancing on your opponents in a heated fire fight. His trait is called Blast Resistant. After you activate it you’ll take less incoming damage and you recover faster if you take any damage from explosives.
Emma “Sundance” Rosier
The last assault class is Emma. She’s the specialist you want to pick if you want the opportunity to catch your enemies unaware. Thanks to her Wingsuit trait, you can jump out of aerial vehicles or from atop tall buildings and cover a huge distance to descend on your opponents from the sky.
As for her specialty, she gets a set of explosives that are unique to her character which have smart capabilities. Like the Anti-Armor grenade which can seek out aerial vehicles and explode after you toss it.
Ji-Soo Paik
Sometimes sitting back and cautiously scouting out the enemy is the best course of action. And you can use Ji-Soo Paik, the second Recon specialist, to get the job done. Her trait is called Threat Perception. And it allows her to watch your back more efficiently when you’re taking incoming enemy fire. If you take damage from enemies, she can use Threat Perception to spot them and take them out. Enemies who are spotted by this trait will show up on-screen highlighted by a bright red aura.
Ji-Soo Paik’s specialty is called EMG-X Scanner. This provides a similar benefit to Threat Perception. But instead of highlighting enemies that deal damage to her teammates, it highlights enemies hiding behind cover so she can take them out before they know she’s there.
Constantin “Angel” Anghel
The last specialist in the game is Constantin. He’s the second support specialist with a trait called Trauma Specialist, and specialty called Loadout Crate. Trauma Specialist lets you quickly revive your allies and give them back their armor. While Loadout Crate allows him to help teammates restock on useful items like ammo, armor, and even loadouts.
Loadout Crate also works for both Constantin and his teammates.
The Maps – Where you’ll be fighting for survival
Just like with specialists, EA plans to release quite a few maps for Battlefield 2042 over time. At launch though there will be seven maps available within the game.
These include Orbital, Hourglass, Kaleidoscope, Manifest, Discarded, Breakaway, and Renewal. You can view full-res screenshots of each of those maps in the gallery just above. They’ll be in order of the way they’re listed here, and each one is labeled for added convenience. To view the names on each map, click to expand the gallery images.
Choose your loadout – Your tools of destruction
Battlefield 2042 will have a huge arsenal of weapons, tools, and gadgets for players to fill their loadouts. While EA hasn’t shown off any screenshots of specific weapon types or given out any detailed descriptions yet, here’s what players can expect when it comes to some of the weapons that the game will include.
Players can select from a range of different weapon types, including SMGs, assault rifles, sniper rifles, LMGs, DMRs, shotguns, pistols, and explosive ordinance. As for attachments, you can use things like scopes, sights, muzzles, barrels, ammo types, magazines, and underbarrel attachments to augment your weapons to better fit your play style.
Players will also be able to equip gadgets, including C5 explosives, anti-tank mines, frag grenades, and more. These are just some of the gadgets that can be equipped by any player regardless of the specialist and class type they fall under.
EA also added a new gadget called the Ranger. Which is a mechanized four-legged robot that will follow you around and dispatch your enemies with fervor. You’re going to want to acquire this thing whenever you can.
When does Battlefield 2042 release?
Update – September 17, 2021: EA and Dice have now confirmed that Battlefield 2042 has been delayed until November 19, 2021.
An update from the Battlefield team pic.twitter.com/K53VNM2tTz
— Battlefield (@Battlefield) September 15, 2021
End of Update
The game will launch on October 22 of 2021. Assuming there are no issues that cause the game to be delayed.
What platforms will the game be available for?
EA will be releasing the game for PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X / S, and PC. Contrary to some popular rumors that were floating around due to a vague statement in a press release from Xbox, this will not be exclusive to the Xbox Series X / S.
Will it support cross-play?
So far there is only a rumor that suggests cross-play features will be included. If cross-play is included in the game, it’s still possible that it won’t allow all players to experience it. Namely those on older consoles like the PS4 and Xbox One.
This would be because those consoles will only support up to 64 players. Whereas PS5, Xbox Series X / S, and PC will support up to 128 players. Since EA hasn’t confirmed cross-play yet though, there’s no way to know how it’ll work. Or if it’s even going to be available.
Does EA plan to have an open beta?
Battlefield 2042 will have an open beta in the months ahead. EA hasn’t stated when the open beta will arrive. But players should expect a potential closed beta first, if it hasn’t already happened behind the scenes.
Since the game is planned to launch in late October of this year, the open beta will probably happen much closer to that time. Those who pre-order will get early access to the open beta prior to its availability for everyone. If you haven’t seen the reveal trailer yet, you can watch the full trailer above.
Update: September 28
EA has announced that the open beta will begin on October 6 for early access and October 8 for all players. It will carry through October 9. Players can pre-load the beta beginning October 5.
2021-12-17 15:07:28