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Battlefield 2042: Release date, Early Access, pre-orders, and everything we know so far
IT'S been three years since we last saw a new Battlefield title but the series is finally making a comeback this week.
Fans of the franchise are in for some big changes though, as Battlefield 2042 is set up the formula we've become accustomed to.
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- Pre-order Battlefield 2042 —
The upcoming instalment is scrapping the single player campaign and will be live service title in the vein of Fortnite.
That means we'll see seasonal content as well a battle pass, which Call of Duty introduced a couple of years ago in Modern Warfare.
Battlefield is very much playing catch up after its hiatus, so it'll be interesting to see how the new direction goes down with series veterans and newcomers.
Here's everything we know so far about the long-awaited next series instalment.
Battlefield 2042 — release date
Battlefield 2042 is launching Friday, November 19, 2021.
It follows 2018's Battlefield 5, and given the huge gap in the usually annual series, fan expectations will undoubtedly be high.
Originally slated for an October 22 release, the onset of the pandemic pushed back this date.
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Battlefield 2042 — platforms
Battlefield 2042 releasing on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
But if PC players would rather not play with those on console (and vice versa) they can opt out.
There'll be a version of the game launching on PS4 and Xbox One , but it won't support the same gargantuan player count as its current gen counterparts.
Because of the limitations of the older consoles, we won't see cross-gen play, and the player count will be capped at 64.
Battlefield 2042 will offer crossplay for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S players.
Battlefield 2042 Early Access and pre-load
Battlefield 2042 Early Access is available right now for players who pre-ordered the Gold and Ultimate Editions of the game.
EA Play Pro members can also get into Early Access and enjoy the full game alongside pre-order players.
Meanwhile EA Play members are eligible for the 10-hour Early Access trial.
Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members get a 10-hour window of hands-in time with the game too.
You can also pre-load the game now on all platforms as well.
Battlefield 2042 Season One content
Now that DICE is going down the live service route, players are eager to find out what seasonal content is on the way.
The first year of Battlefield 2042 live service will see four Seasons, with four new Specialists, four Battle Passes, new locations, and new content delivered throughout.
Battlefield Portal will also get regular updates to give players "more ways to build and share new Battlefield experiences with the world."
Season 1 won't be available at launch and we don't have a confirmed start date either.
DICE has only that we'll get more details "early next year."
It has given us an idea of the new content that Season 1 will bring however, including a new Specialist, Battle Pass, and Battlefield Portal content.
The studio also teased "some new sights to see as the story of Battlefield 2042 continues to unfold."
Battlefield 2042 gameplay
With no campaign mode this year, Battlefield 2042 is all-out multiplayer warfare.
The biggest change we'll see this year is the increased player count which is getting bumped up to 128.
The series' staple environmental destruction hasn't gone anywhere but is being enhanced with dynamic weather, and environmental hazards.
So things will get even more frantic thanks to ever-changing battle conditions, and dynamic events, like tornadoes that will send vehicles and players flying across the map.
The new Specialist system allows for greater customisation when it comes to players and squads.
Based on the usual four classes, Specialists have have one unique Specialty and Trait, while everything else can be customised to your heart's content.
There are 10 Specialists in total at launch, with a new one being added to the roster each season post-release.
Unlike Call of Duty, Battlefield hasn't succumbed to the battle royale trend just yet. Instead, we're getting three modes to dip into:
- All-Out Warfare
- Battlefield Hazard Zone
- Battlefield Portal
All-Out Warfare is where veteran players can go to find the traditional modes like Conquest, and Breakthrough, with the beefed up player counts.
Battlefield Hazard Zone has been described as a "mix between Escape from Tarkov & Hunt Showdown" by Twitter tipster .
As part of a four-member squad, you'll be tasked with finding and retrieving data drives on the map.
You'll be competing with other squads with the same objective as well as occupying forces.
The ultimate objective is to get the data drives and extract before the storm rolls in.
There are no respawns if you die, so it's a high-stakes affair.
Battlefield Portal should resonate with fans, letting them play reimagined classics from the series.
The new mode lets players create and share user-created Experiences, or dive into pre-made ones if that sounds like too much of a faff.
You can run your Experiences on a server yourself, or share them for others to host on their servers.
Battlefield 2042 maps
Diving into the maps should be all kinds of fun, thanks to introduction of 128-player support and and vast array of vehicles.
To get you into the action even faster, a new call-in system will deliver a vehicle straight to you.
So there'll be no more running around the map for ages and fighting over a single quad bike.
The maps themselves have been designed to offer "multiple distinct combat areas".
According to , these areas will directly impact your and your squad's strategy so it'll be interesting to see that pans out.
As with past entries in the series, the destruction extends to set pieces on maps that will alter portions of the landscape once they come tumbling down.
So far, EA has shared details of seven maps, which you can check out below:
- Hourglass
- Doha, Qatar. Fight in a city lost to the desertification around it. Massive dust and sand storms are constantly rolling in, blotting out the natural light, as you battle for control of a convoy trapped in the shifting sands.
- Discarded
- Alang, India. Along a strategic section of India's west coast, colossal ships stranded on the beach are being stripped for parts. Fight among the hulls of these behemoths while adapting to deadly storms.
- Manifest
- Brani Island, Singapore. Watch out for tropical tornadoes and navigate through maze-like cargo containers in this key trade location, vital to American supply lines.
- Kaleidoscope
- Songdo, South Korea. In a state-of-the art metropolis in South Korea, zipline between skyscrapers and fight among the plazas surrounding the city's iconic data center.
- Orbital
- Kourou, French Guiana. It's a race against time and hostile conditions as you fight around the site of an imminent rocket launch. Watch out for both enemy fire and upcoming storms on this dynamic map.
- Breakaway
- Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. Tread carefully on this dynamic map, where oil extraction has turned the freezing area to a strategic hot spot. Take advantage of destructible fuel tanks and silos that create debris fields and permanent fires when destroyed.
- Renewal
- Eastern Desert, Egypt. A giant wall, built to secure rich, man-made agricultural areas, takes center stage on this intense map. Prepare for the extreme conditions, deploy, and secure the access points and massive gates in the wall.
There's also a selection of classic maps:
- Battle of the Bulge — Battlefield 1942
- The Ardennes, Belgium. The German Army has commenced a massive counterattack against a thin spot in the Allied front. Give it your all in the forests and fields of this vast, vehicle-focused map.
- El Alamein — Battlefield 1942
- El Alamein, Egypt. Fought in 1942, the Battle of El Alamein was a crucial clash between the weakened German forces and the resurgent British. Lay down as many mines as possible to greet the Panzer Division with an explosive surprise
- Africa Harbor — Battlefield: Bad Company 2
- Arica, Chile. Once a busy port, Arica Harbor is now a lethal killzone located in the area of the world’s driest desert. Beware of enemies in the buildings and get ready for fast-paced infantry action and vehicular combat.
- Valparaiso — Battlefield: Bad Company 2
- Valparaiso, Chile. As the second Russo-American war rages, a clash outside this Chilean coastal city becomes a key battle. Prepare for infantry action in the jungle and amphibious attacks on the coast.
- Caspian Border — Battlefield 3
- Turkmen-Iranian border. A true Battlefield classic, set in the Turkmenistan side of the Iranian border where a recon Russian force has set up camp. The obvious map choice for fans of all-out vehicular warfare gameplay.
- Noshahr Canals — Battlefield 3
- Noshahr, Iran. U.S. marines launch a strike on a major harbor on the Iranian coast. Prepare for tight infantry combat as well as all-out warfare on this strategically important port.
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