EA officially announced the long-awaited Battlefield 2042 back in June after months of fan speculation, teases from development studio DICE, and hints from executives at Electronic Arts. After what seems like years of waiting for fans, the Battlefield 2042 release date was finally announced, alongside information about the Battlefield 2042 beta dates, an overview about Battlefield 2042 Portal – and much more information besides.
EA DICE, which has been working on the game for some time now, describes the new installment in the franchise as the “most ambitious” series entry yet. And once you take a look at the feature set, you can see why: the game will feature 128-player maps, AI bots, new weapons and gadgets, and a whole host of futuristic vehicles to play with, as well as introducing classic series maps in the mind-boggling Portal mode.
Battlefield 2042’s E3 trailer showed off seamless transitions between gunfights in the street, through buildings, and across rooftops. All of this happens while a sandstorm dominates the combat area, throwing planes, helicopters, and just about everything else, into skyscrapers.
The game is set in the ‘near-future’ and will take players to unique and carried regions including an Antarctic tundra, a sandstorm-covered metropolis, and a futuristic neon-lit city. For the first time in the series
EA DICE has confirmed the game will not feature a single-player mode. However, there’s plenty for fans to look forward to when Battlefield 2042 releases later this year.
Here’s everything we know about Battlefield 2042
Battlefield 2042 release date, platforms and price
A tweet from the official Battlefield account confirmed the news that Battlefield 2042 will now be released worldwide on November 19, 2021. That means that Battlefield 2042 will arrive a month later than originally planned and will launch two weeks after its main rival – Call of Duty: Vanguard.
In the statement, the Battlefield 2042 team explained how the global pandemic “has created unforeseen challenges for our development team” and that “given the scale and scope of the game,” the hope was that the development teams would be back in the studios nearer launch. As that is not happening, it was decided “to take the extra time to deliver on the vision of Battlefield 2042 for our players.”
Available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, the new Battlefield game is available to pre-order now, with three different versions available.
The standard PS4, Xbox One and PC versions cost £59.99 while the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions cost £69.99. There’s also a Battlefield 2042 Gold Edition available for £89.99 on PC and £99.99 on console. The Ultimate Edition costs £109.99 on PC and £119.99 on consoles.
If you pre-order any of these editions, you’ll get access to the open beta.
Battlefield Portal mode
EA has revealed gameplay footage from Battlefield 2042’s “love letter” crossover mode Battlefield Portal.
The 80-second clip comes ahead of Battlefield 2042 being made available on early access from November 12 before its full launch on November 19.
“Today we showed you your first look at the Battle of the Bulge, El Alamein, Arica Harbor, Valparaiso, Noshahr Canals, and Caspian Border,” said EA in a statement on their website.
Portal has been described as a “love letter” crossover mode that pits factions from previous games against each other over a highly customisable mix of new and classic maps.
“Starting at launch, we’ll have default experiences live in-game that allow you to relive these classic maps, alongside their classic factions, equipped with the weapons, gadgets, and classes that brought them to life,” say EA.
At launch, five modes will be available within Portal – Conquest Large, Conquest, Rush, Free-For-All and Team Deathmatch – with players able to choose from a range of 128 maps.
EA has also published an extensive look at how the game can be modified, which can seen here.
“We’re beyond excited to open up the experience to every Battlefield fan across the world, and can’t wait to see what you make with it. It’s been a dream of ours to establish this toolbox for you, our fans, and this is just the beginning of this journey. “
On July 22, EA announced the second game mode for Battlefield 2042, titled Battlefield Portal. Described as a “love letter” to fans, Battlefield Portal will combine factions, weapons and more from previous Battlefield games in a mode that EA don’t plan on balancing much.
The game mode will bring back Rush, Conquest and Team Deathmatch modes and will have 13 maps at launch, including six fully remastered maps taken from Battlefield 1942, Bad Company 2 and Battlefield 3.
Battlefield Portal will be highly customisable by players through a Builder feature, which will open up options for users to create their own game modes, niche server rules and more.
As it’s a lot to break down, here’s all the new Battlefield Portal content (including maps, weapons, and more) that will be arriving at launch.
Battlefield 2042 maps
The near-future setting of Battlefield 2042 is promising, and gives us a number of cool new maps to fight in. And while we haven’t seen any official gameplay just yet, the new trailer has already hinted at what’s to come.
There are some big set pieces such as the rocket we saw in the first trailer, and with a range of settings from snow to cityscapes, there’s something to scratch every itch.
Here are the ‘All Out Warfare’ maps we know about so far:
Kaleidoscope: Sogdo, South Korea. Here, teams will clash over a ‘quantum powered disinformation hub’ after an attack threatens global comms networks.
Manifest: Brani Island, Singapore. Vital for American supply lines after the global warming collapse, this strategic choke point will prove pivotal in the battle.
Orbital: Kourou, French Guiana. Here, you’re fighting over the rocket launch site as seen in the official trailer. A space race like no other.
Discarded: Alang, India. The goal here is to secure rogue nuclear assets amid tidal extremes – presumably a consequence of that global warming we’ve seen.
Renewal: Eastern Desert, Egypt. Team will battle to take control of a ground-breaking ‘agricultural technology centre’ in the middle of the desert.
Hourglass: Doha, Qatar. Sandstorms ravage a city centre as you fight over a lost shipping convoy.
Breakaway: Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. The snowy tundra seen in the trailer, teams fight for control of oil and gas pipelines.
Battlefield 2042 reveal trailer
During the highly-anticipated Battlefield 2042 reveal event, the first official trailer was revealed. The ‘in-engine’ footage, shows off the kind of shenanigans that can be expected in multiplayer including jumping out of a plane to blow up another plane, in an extended cinematic.
Battlefield 2042 gameplay reveal
Thanks to Microsoft we got our first look at Battlefield 2042’s gameplay thanks to an explosive trailer which showed off impressive weather effects, vehicular combat, grappling hooks, and in-game weapon customisation.
According to EA Dice, Battlefield 2042 will be more of a sandbox-style game than previous instalments in the Battlefield franchise.
Maps will feature dynamic weather – including the all-powerful tornado and sandstorms that have been shown in trailers. This inclement weather is so powerful it tosses vehicles around like they’re toys.
The gameplay trailer also gave us our first look at the wingsuit, showing a rolling battle transition from street, to building interior, to rooftop, and back to street level thanks to the wingsuit – all in one seamless gameplay sequence.
Finally, we saw on the fly weapon customisation during a quieter moment, where an operator was able to take a few moments to swap through weapon attachments via an in-game holographic menu, tweaking their loadout to suit different engagement styles.
With more new gadgets, weapons and vehicles expected, this looks to be the biggest and boldest Battlefield yet.
Battlefield 2042 weather will affect player combat
The recent Battlefield 2042 trailer shows off some apocalyptic weather including a tornado, a sandstorm and some pretty intense arctic conditions.
Now, it looks as though those harsh conditions will directly affect the game’s combat.
Developers EA DICE recently showed off the game’s weather systems during the Xbox Games Showcase Extended. And you can expect those harsh conditions to directly impact how you play.
A sandstorm will sweep across the new Hourglass map – reducing player visibility and forcing gamers to adapt how they use their weapons, tanks and helicopters. It will even directly impact the map itself, causing lighting changes and debris that could pose a problem.
The tornado is an interesting concept, too – wreaking havoc as it twists across the map. Expect tanks and debris to get caught in its path. And don’t even think about stepping outside. Hunkering down and staying indoors is the best way to avoid getting caught up in it. Even if there are enemies at your door.
Battlefield 2042 wingsuit lets you ride the tornado
Adverse weather is going to play a big part in Battlefield 2042 but it’s not all bad.
During a recent EA Play event, EA DICE manager Oskar Gabrielson confirmed that players can actually ride the tornado using their wingsuits.
“We added a lot of really cool gear to the game – things like grappling hooks and wingsuits,” he explained.
“And then for some really cool reason, we said: ‘What about a real-time tornado?’ Real-time tornados are cool, right? What about adding one of those to Battlefield?’ And then what happens if you take that and combine it with a wingsuit, so you can kind of propel yourself to the other side of the map?”
Obviously, this opens up some interesting options for repositioning your squad and could even make the difference between winning and losing.
Riding a tornado is certainly one way to get an advantage in Battelfield 2042.
Battlefield 2042 beta and how to play it
Want to know how to join the Battlefield 2042 beta? In order to play the game before it launches, you’re going to need to sign up and jump through some hoops. The upcoming first-person shooter will be hosting a series of beta tests before launch, but entry will be pretty strict.
It has been confirmed that Battlefield 2042 and its next beta have been delayed but, fortunately, not for as long as earlier reports suggested.
According to a post in the r/GamingLeaksandRumours subreddit, Amazon customers are being sent redeemable codes to the Battlefield 2042 beta. They are seemingly getting the codes because they chose to purchase the title via Amazon – no other retailers have yet sent codes out, apparently.
Publisher EA or the game’s developer, DICE, have not yet updated us about when the open beta is taking place – we just know that it’s supposed to happen sometime in September (though time is obviously running out on that front).
The Battlefield 2042 product description reads: “Pre-order Battlefield 2042 for PC by September 23rd, 2021 to unlock early access to the Battlefield 2042 Open Beta.” That suggests the open beta could start any time now, since “codes will be sent within 24 hours of early access start date.”
We’ll keep you updated as we learn more.
Battlefield 2042 matches for up to 128 players
That’s right – Battlefield 2042 will double the size of its matches, up from 64 players in Battlefield V. It’s the first time the franchise has tried multiplayer maps on such a scale and puts Battlefield 2042 up there as one of the biggest multiplayer experiences you can get.
This means a bit of a change to the maps, too.
128 player maps will be divided into sectors – each one containing clusters of control points. Players will have to capture all control points to control the sector.
Battlefield 2042 uses bots to keep servers full
That’s right – you may not always be up against other players. Battlefield 2042 uses bots to make sure those 128 player maps are bustling with troops.
A post on EA’s website confirms that Battlefield 2042 will fill servers with AI soldier – both enemies and allies – to make sure matches reach their full potential.
“As a multiplayer-only experience, it’s important for us to let you play Battlefield 2042 when and how you want,” they explained.
As a result, you’ll find AI soldiers in the following modes:
- Multiplayer: Used for server-filling capabilities, ensuring matches remain full.
- Co-op: Play together with friends, against AI soldiers.
- Solo: Practice your kills by playing alone against AI soldiers.
Does this mean you can solo up on a server with 127 bots? It certainly looks that way.
Battlefield 2042 specialists will replace classes
Introducing Specialists – the new sort-of-class system in Battlefield 2042. Essentially, the different specialists allow the use of different abilities and gadgets. But it’s more than that – they have names, backstories and can use any weapon you’ve unlocked.
The classic ‘assault’ and ‘recon’ classes are still there – sort of – but these are now categories of Specialists.
But gone are the days of Medics only having access to SMGs – the new flexible Specialists can mix and match the weapons you’ve unlocked with their unique abilities. At launch, that includes 10 Specialists – that’s 10 unique combinations of gadgets and abilities you can use alongside your favourite guns.
You can also swap out attachments on the fly, so you can tweak your loadout for specific situations as you go.
Here’s what we know about the four Specialists revealed so far:
Wikus “Casper” Van Daele:
Class: Recon.
Birthplace: South Africa.
Specialty: OV-P Recon Drone.
Trait: Movement Sensor.
Webster Mackay:
Class: Assault.
Birthplace: Canada.
Specialty: Grappling Hook.
Trait: Nimble.
Maria Falck:
Class: Support.
Birthplace: Germany.
Specialty: S21 Syrette Pistol.
Trait: Combat Surgeon.
Pyotr ‘Boris’ Guskovsky:
Class: Engineer.
Birthplace: Russia.
Specialty: SG-36 Sentry Gun.
Trait: Sentry Operator.
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