Battlefield 2042: What We Know So Far…
It’s been three years since Battlefield V and fortunately, the wait for a new Battlefield is almost over. On October 22, 2021, Battlefield 2042, the brand new entry in the Battlefield franchise, launches. Last week, a select group of media, including COGconnected, had the opportunity to watch the Battlefield 2042 reveal trailer and take part in an interactive Q&A with some of the team members involved in Battlefield 2042. Since then, we’ve had to keep all these juicy details locked down – until now.
Today, we can finally provide you with a full breakdown of Battlefield 2042, including the story, game modes, and so much more. And if you read some “leaks” on other sites, I’d encourage you to stick around – I’ve read many of those posts, and they shared a lot of false info and failed to mention many key details. And with that, we’re almost ready to reveal Battlefield 2042, but there is one caveat worth mentioning. None of what you’ll see or read today is based on actual in-game gameplay. The reveal trailer and this article is designed to provide fans a general overview for the upcoming game. A gameplay trailer will be shown on June 13th.
The Story
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.
As the title suggests, Battlefield 2042 will take place in 2042, which interestingly enough is 100 years after Battlefield 1942 (2002) and 100 years before Battlefield 2142 (2006). Player’s will take control of non-patriated Specialists that call themselves No-Pats. Yes, No-Pats is a bit of a silly name, but I imagine in time, we’ll all get used to it. Rather than designing your own characters or simply picking a skin, you’ll need to select a Specialist. Specialists are divided into different categories, similar to the traditional Battlefield classes. At launch, there will be 10 specialists available, with additional ones added in the future. Each Specialist has a unique specialty and a unique trait. In addition, each Specialists loadout is 100% customizable. So regardless of which Specialist you choose, they’ll have access to any weapon, from pistols to SMGs to sniper rifles. Specialists will eventually have some added customization options, such as alternate skins – these will be included in Battle Passes, which we’ll discuss later.
Specialists
Here is a brief breakdown of the four Specialists we were introduced to:
- 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.
- There will be six more Specialists available at launch and more introduced post-launch.
The Experience
Let’s talk a bit about what is included with Battlefield 2042. First, there is no campaign. You read that right. Battlefield 2042 is 100% multiplayer only. There are three distinct multiplayer experiences contained within Battlefield 2042. First is All-Out Warfare. This experience includes the classic modes Conquest and Breakthrough featuring the largest maps in Battlefield history and 128 player matches. Second is Hazard Zone, but unfortunately, we weren’t provided any information on this new experience beyond the name. And finally, there is a third experience that is “to be announced” during EA Play Live on July 22nd. Notably absent is team deathmatch, Rush mode, and any sort of Battle Royale mode. While these modes could pop up in the future, they will not be included at launch.
Before we dive into maps, we should take a moment to discuss the different versions of Battlefield 2042 that will be launching. Everything we’re discussing today will be available for gamers on PC, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5. This includes the massive maps and 128 player battles. Cross-play between platforms will be supported. However, Battlefield 2042 will also be available on both Xbox One and PlayStation 4, albeit scaled down to accommodate the older hardware. This means the maps will be smaller in size and the max player count will be 64 players. This also means that there will be no cross-gen support; PS4 players will not be able to play with PS5 players, Xbox One players will not be able to play with Xbox Series X/S players. If you’re a Battlefield fan and you haven’t yet upgraded to the latest generation of consoles, now might be a good time. Battlefield 2042 will not be available on Nintendo Switch or Stadia at this time.
The Maps
At launch, there will be seven massive maps to battle on. None of these maps are remakes from previous Battlefield games, these are all brand new maps. Here is a brief breakdown of each map:
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 inside…
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. Set in a winter wonderland with huge range of terrain. Point of Interest: The massive scalable mountain. Note: this is the largest map in Battlefield history spanning 5.9 square miles!
Twist and Shout
One of the coolest additions to Battlefield 2042 is the new weather effects that will take place during matches. While I can’t divulge too much on this, I can tell you that what you saw in the reveal trailer when that massive tornado stormed through the city – that’s a very real element that could occur on a variety of different matches. Players, vehicles, and basically anything not properly tied down will be swept up and thrown around the map like a rag doll. Fortunately, some Specialists have certain abilities that will allow you to not only survive, but take advantage of these weather phenomenon. Of course, these great equalizers will also cause chaos for unsuspecting campers as well. You could be perched in an area, sniping away, when suddenly you’re swept up and thrown a few hundred meters away. EA DICE seemed to imply that every map would have some form of weather event – but we didn’t see anything beyond the tornado at this point.
Additional Details
While we can’t talk too much about gameplay, there are a few tidbits we can share. The brand new Plus System allows players to customize their weapons in real-time. Attachments such as ammo type, barrels, scopes and more can be hot-swapped during gameplay. This will allow players to better optimize their playstyle depending on their current situation. For example, say you’ve breached a building filled with enemies that haven’t detected your presence, now would be an ideal time to put a silencer on your pistol. Or maybe there’s a sniper in the distance that’s difficult to see, just add a 4x scope to your assault rifle and now you’ll have a better look at the cheeky bugger.
Another gameplay aspect we can discuss is the return of vehicles. Vehicles have been re-tooled to ensure that every passenger has a role to play, whether that be spotter, gunner, or driver. No more Driving Miss Daisy, everyone will need to pull their weight. In addition, vehicles can be called-in to any location on the map. No more need to back track extensively if you’re trying to make a push on an objective. This will help the gameplay continue to move forward. Oh, and yes, you can call in a vehicle on-top of some camping enemies. Squish!
Battlefield 2042 will be considered a Live Service game. In the first year, there will be four distinct seasons, each with a corresponding Battle Pass. The Battle Pass will include both free and premium tiers. EA DICE has promised that the content contained within the Battle Pass (paid or otherwise) is cosmetic only – there will be no “pay to win” options here. Included throughout the year will be new specialists, new locations and more fresh content.
Battlefield: Black Ops 4?
As a fan of both Call of Duty and Battlefield, I couldn’t help but notice some similarities between Battlefield 2042 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. Just for fun, I figured I’d share some of those observations here:
- Battlefield 2042 started development 3 years ago, shortly after both Battlefield V and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 launched.
- Battlefield 2042 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 are both multiplayer only games. As per EA DICE, the decision to not include a campaign was based on “market research”.
- Battlefield 2042 takes place in 2042. Black Ops 4 takes place in 2043.
- Battlefield 2042 uses Specialists. Black Ops 4 uses Specialists.
Flattering imitation or purely coincidental? Insert shoulder shrug GIF here.
What’s Next?
And that concludes our Battlefield 2042 reveal. With that said, here are some key dates to keep in mind:
- On June 13th, EA DICE will pull back the curtain on the Gameplay Trailer – I’ve seen it, it’s pretty freakin’ awesome!
- In July, a select number of Battlefield veterans across US & Europe will be invited to try Battlefield 2042 in a closed, NDA-protected environment.
- On July 22nd, EA DICE will reveal the new Battlefield 2042 multiplayer experience.
- An Open Beta will be available for those who pre-order Battlefield 2042 – more details to come in the future.
- And finally, most importantly, Battlefield 2042 will launch on October 22, 2021.
We’ll be sure to provide further updates on Battlefield 2042 as they become available.
Thank you for keeping it locked on COGconnected.
