Alright, EA and DICE have officially revealed the next Battlefield title, Battlefield 2042. And while the leaks were already running wild, they didn’t suppress my excitement for the reveal.
So what did we end up with? Not a live stream that I was hoping for, but we did get an action-packed trailer that served as the launching point for Battlefield 2042. With no narration, we’re left to imagine a few things on our own. But one thing is for sure, this isn’t a game that’s based in the past, and not exactly in modern-day time either. It’s more of a futurist game, but not as far as say Battlefield 2142.
But don’t take my word for it, check out the reveal trailer below.
So what do we know about Battlefield 2042? A lot of stuff actually, so let’s dig in. The game takes place 21 years into our future. A future where resources such as water, food, and even energy are scarce. Now nations and countries are fighting over these resources, and the world is a very bad place. Now it seems like two of the larger nations, the United States of America and Russia are going to come to blows and it won’t be pretty.
As for gameplay, most of the big news is being held until EA’s July 22nd event, EA Play. However, we do know that the game will feature some massive firefights. On the PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, the game will support up to 128 players. While the Xbox One and PS4 will handle slightly less, at 64 players. The maps that will be played on are massive and the game will launch with several of them, according to DICE.
There will be three different game modes; Hazard Zone, All-Out Warfare, and another one that has yet to be announced. All-Out Warfare will see a return of conquest and breakthrough but will be optimized for the player count and map size of Battlefield 2042. In addition, you’ll also have to deal with other things such as the elements, which were seen in the trailer when the soldiers were carried up by a wind gust. Unlike prior games in the series, Battlefield 2042 will feature a large number of dynamic features, all of which will (hopefully) enhance the gameplay. Not much is known about Hazard Zone, other than it’s a new squad-based game mode. It’s not a battle royal and is something entirely new to the series. We’ll hear more about it and the announced mode next month.
An open beta is planned for later this month, however, the specifics regarding this haven’t been revealed. EA and DICE will reveal more information regarding this in the future. In addition to the open beta, there will be a technical playtest. Unlike the open beta, this one will be more controlled and will require anyone who has access to agree to an NDA.
Sadly, it doesn’t seem like there’s going to be a campaign mode and this is likely going to frustrate fans who were waiting for this to return back to the series. According to an interview with Eurogamer, Battlefield 2042 is focused on multiplayer gameplay, there won’t be any single-player portions whatsoever. On the flip side of things, there won’t be a battle royale either. Battlefield 2042’s Game director Oskar Gabrielson was adamant that there will not be a battle royale. Here’s to hoping that stays true, as EA and DICE’s last attempt at a battle royale, Firestorm wasn’t the greatest (and that’s being nice).
Battlefield 2042 is set for an October 22nd, 2021 release date and is up for pre-order. There are three versions of the game; standard, gold edition, and ultimate edition. All will provide early access to the Battlefield open beta, but the gold and ultimate editions will also provide early access to the game once it is available. All versions will also provide some extra goodies such as a season pass, in-game content, and more.
EA Play and EA Play Pro subscribers will also get access to the open beta, with EA Play Pro also gaining full access to the ultimate edition of the game on October 15th, 2021.
We’ll find out more about Battlefield 2042 and get some gameplay, once EA Play gets here. For now, this is what we know. What do you think about the reveal? Let us know in the comments.
