Battlefield 2042 is coming and there’s a lot of information to wade through to understand the full picture of the latest game in the legendary series. We’ve done all the digging for you and here’s everything you need to know.
First things first, Battlefield 2042 is the official title and the game will be based around a future war between the United States and Russia. The game launches on October 22nd for PC, Xbox One and Series consoles, and the PS4 and PS5 (earlier access can be purchased which is detailed below). The pre-order details are as follows (all prices in US currency):
- The base game is $59.99 on last-gen consoles and PC (Xbox One and PS4), and $69.99 on new consoles (Xbox Series X/S and PS5)
- If you pre-order, you get the following:
- • Early Access to Open Beta
• Baku ACB-90 melee takedown knife
• “Mr. Chompy” Epic Weapon Charm
• “Landfall” Player Card Background + “Old Guard” Tag
- • Early Access to Open Beta
- If you pre-order, you get the following:
- There is also a Gold Edition that will retail for $99.99. In addition to the above, this includes early access to the game (supposedly October 15th) and the Year One Pass.
- • Early access to game launch
• Year 1 Pass: 4 New Specialists (1 per Season), 4 Battle Passes (1 per Season), and 3 Epic Skin Bundles (”Blistered”, ”Tempest”, and ”Cold Blood”)
- • Early access to game launch
- Lastly there is an Ultimate Edition that will retail for $119.99. In addition to all of the Gold Edition content, it includes:
- • Midnight Ultimate Bundle (“Shadow Stalker” Legendary Outfit, “Obsidian” Legendary Weapon Skin, “Onyx” Legendary Vehicle Skin)
• Official Digital Artbook
• Exclusive Digital Soundtrack
• Cross-Gen Bundle
- • Midnight Ultimate Bundle (“Shadow Stalker” Legendary Outfit, “Obsidian” Legendary Weapon Skin, “Onyx” Legendary Vehicle Skin)
- If you’re an EA Play subscriber, you can receive 10% off of the prices above as normal. There will also be unique monthly bonuses for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers.
Right, you got all of that? Now let’s get into the heart of the game itself. To clarify immediately, Battlefield 2042 is a multiplayer game only. There is no campaign, and no specialty battle royale mode. It is traditional Battlefield multiplayer with some new wrinkles which we will explain below. Some of this information comes courtesy of our friends at COG Connected.
The synopsis is as follows:
The year is 2042. The world is on the brink. Shortages of food, energy and clean water have led to dozens of failed nations, creating the greatest refugee crisis in human history. Among these Non-Patriated, or No-Pats, are families, farmers, engineers – and even soldiers. Amidst this crisis, the United States and Russia draw the world into an all-out war. No-Pat Specialists join both sides, not fighting for a flag, but for the future of the Non-Patriated in this new world.
- The game is built around specialists known as “No-Pats”.
- Each specialist is fully customizable, thus it’s more about the character you prefer and less about loadouts as each can use any weapons/gadgets.
- At launch, the game will feature 10 specialists with more to come in the future. So far, DICE has shared the details of 4 of them:
- Wikus “Casper” Van Daele, born in South Africa, Recon Class. His specialty is a OV-P Recon Drone that can provide intel to his squad mates and his trait is a Movement Sensor.
- Webster Mackay, born in Canada, Assault Class. His specialty is a Grappling Hook and his trait is Nimble.
- Maria Falck, born in Germany, Support Class. Her specailty is a S21 Syrette Pistol (she can revive downed allies from a distance) and her trait is Combat Surgeon.
- Pyotr “Boris” Guskovsky, born in Russia, Engineer Class. His specialty is an SG-36 Sentry Gun and his trait is Sentry Operator.
At launch the game will feature 7 maps. As you would expect, they are incredibly large sandboxes. Each is also brand-new to the series. The details are as follows:
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- Kaleidoscope – Set in Sogdo, South Korea. Urban-style map with large skyscrapers. Point of interest: Many of the skyscrapers will have ziplines connecting them, allowing for fast traversal.
- Manifest – Set in Brani Island, Singapore. This one takes place in a large shipping yard. Point of interest: The maze of shipping containers, perfect for close quarters combat.
- Orbital – Set in Kourou, French Guiana. This map takes place at a space agency. Point of interest: the massive space rocket that CAN be launched into space. However, the launch can also fail, leading to devastating impact on the battlefield.
- Discarded – Set in Alang, India. Set in a desert location. Point of interest: the massive derelict ship that might contain a nuclear sub insid
- Renewal – Set in Eastern Desert, Egypt. This one includes two distinct sides to the map; a small city area and a desert area. Point of interest: the two distinct sides are divided by a massive, scalable wall.
- Hourglass – Set in Doha, Qatar. Another urban setting, however this one has been covered completely in a thick layer of sand. Point of Interest: a massive stadium that is fully accessible, but filled with sand as well.
- Breakaway – Set in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. A winter wonderland with huge range of terrain. This is the largest map in Battlefield history spanning 5.9 square miles.
- Gameplay on these maps will ensue across classic modes like Conquest along with new modes such as Hazard Zone (no details at this time). But the experience will vary depending on platform.
- The game will feature 128 player battles (64 v 64) on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5. Crossplay is supported though we’re not exactly sure how it’s implemented just yet.
- On the Xbox One and PS4, the battles will be limited to 64 total players (32 v 32) with condensed map sizes.
- A new “Plus” system allows you to customize weapons in real-time, thus allowing players to approach situations as they see fit. Running a sniper but need to attach a longer scope? You can do that during gameplay now.
- Vehicles have been overhauled and will play a large part in the battle. DICE has said that each passenger in a vehicle will be able to fill a meaningful role in combat.
- The game will feature “seasons” with each season lasting a quarter. The year one pass provides access to the first year and thus four seasons.
- These will include cosmetics, specialists, and more, but nothing that will impact gameplay. DICE ensures there are no “pay to win” elements in the game.
If you missed the initial trailer, here you go!
