Battlefield 2042: Release date, specialists, game modes, maps, new features

Battlefield 2042 is the next installment in the massive FPS franchise, and fans are looking forward to taking their place as Specialists in a world on the brink. Here’s everything you need to know about the Battlefield 2042 release date, maps, game modes and so much more.

Alongside Call of Duty, Battlefield remains one of the most popular and long-standing FPS franchises on the market. The series has garnered a dedicated fanbase that enjoys large-scale battles fought across huge and expansive maps. They didn’t release a new game in 2020, so news that DICE was working on another game in the series for 2021 has fans very excited.

Previously leaving fans in the dark for months, on June 9, EA finally released the reveal trailer for the game and confirmed its official name.

Further new feature details were revealed at E3 2021, and not only that, EA even revealed the game’s scheduled release date, and there isn’t too long to wait.

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Contents

• Battlefield 2042 release date
• Battlefield 2042 early access
• Battlefield 2042 trailers
• When and where is Battlefield 2042 set?
• Battlefield 2042 maps and modes
• New features
• Battlefield 2042 weapons and vehicles
• Specialists in Battlefield 2042
• Battlefield 2042 leaked “gadgets”
• Battlefield 2042 open beta and editions
• Battlefield 2042 battle royale mode

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Battlefield 2042 release date 

During the reveal trailer on June 9, EA confirmed that Battlefield 2042 was set to release on October 22, 2021, but the game has since been delayed. In a new update, DICE confirmed that the game will launch on November 19.

Before the full release, however, players were able to go hands-on for the first time with an early Beta session that launched on October 6.

Battlefield 2042 early access

Battlefield 2042 will have four different releases depending on whether you’re an EA Play member or have an active Xbox Game Pass subscription.

The release schedule for Battlefield 2042, including early access, is as follows:

• Friday, November 12 – EA Play 10-hour trial (EA Play members & Xbox Game Pass subscribers)
• Friday, November 12 – EA Play Pro full game early access
• Friday, November 12 – Gold and Ultimate Editions
• Friday, November 19th – Standard Edition

Battlefield 2042 trailers

Battlefield 2042’s reveal trailer premiered on June 9, 2021, and unveils a range of new details on DICE’s upcoming title.

At E3 2021, we were treated to a first look at the gameplay trailer for 2042. Featuring in-engine footage captured with up to 128 players, high octane chases and immersive locations set the stage for what’s undoubtedly going to be an incredible experience. 

Also featured in the trailer were storms, something that highlighted what devs mentioned as “an ever-changing battlefield” for the game.

During the EA Play Live event, we also got our first look at Battlefield Portal. The trailer showcased just how the new creative toolset works.

While no further gameplay has been revealed just yet, an August 12 update provided a deep dive into the narrative of BF 2042.

This short film marked the return of fan-favorite BF4 character Irish.

As with most new FPS games, DICE is giving players and early look into what Battlefield 2042 has to offer. Starting on October 6th, players who pre-ordered will be granted early access to the Battlefield 2042 Beta.

However, from October 8th-9th, the beta will be open for everyone to experience. 

The third and final component, Hazard Zone, was unveiled on October 14. The new trailer gave us a rundown on how the intense mode works and just what players can expect to see at launch.

When and where is Battlefield 2042 set?

Battlefield 2042 is set in the modern era in the midst of a world war driven by a conflict between the USA and Russia. Shortages of food, energy, and clean water have led to countless desperate nations on the brink of crisis.

As the two biggest superpowers on the planet continue to forge war against each other, players join a group known as Specialists who fight for both sides and do not represent a flag.

Their goal is to fight for what matters and protect the non-patriated in this new war-torn world.

Battlefield 2042 maps and modes

Battlefield 2042 will launch with three separate standout multiplayer experiences for players to jump into. While fans of the franchise will recognize some returning features, DICE has certainly made some major additions to evolve the gameplay.

All-Out Warfare

All-Out Warfare is the next generation of fan-favorite modes Conquest and Breakthrough, featuring the largest maps ever for the franchise and hosting up to 128 players. Players will experience the intensity of war like never before with maps featuring dynamic weather, dangerous environmental hazards, and spectacular world events.

Hazard Zone

Hazard Zone is a brand new squad-based game-type for the Battlefield franchise. Teams of four drop into the map and must retrieve as many Data Drives as possible. You can’t get too greedy though as teams have to extract for their Data Drives to count, thus, everyone is fighting for not only the same objectives, but the same escape route.

Battlefield Portal

The third experience was confirmed to be Battlefield Portal during the EA Play Live event. Portal offers an extensive toolset that allows players to build their own modes. With a variety of maps, weapons, and vehicles from previous Battlefield titles, the community can use a wide range of assets to bring their dreams to life.

In terms of maps, Battlefield 2042 is looking to raise the bar when it comes to scale and choices that players can make while exploring a landmass.

It’s obvious DICE wanted to create sandbox-enabling maps that change and evolve throughout a conflict. It’s worth noting the All-Out Warfare mode will host 128 players on the next-gen consoles and PC, but only 64 players on the PS4 and Xbox One. This is to ensure players on those systems still receive an optimized experience.

Similarly, Hazard Zone will host 32 players on next-gen consoles and PC, while previous-gen consoles will be limited to 24 players in each lobby.

Battlefield 2042 will launch with seven original maps that function across both Hazard Zone and All-Out Warfare:

• Kaleidoscope – Set in Sogdo, South Korea, forces here will close to control a quantum-powered disinformation hub after an attack threatens the global network.
• Manifest – Set in Brani Island, Singapore, players will see a strategic flashpoint emerge as global trade chokes this location which is vital for the American supply lines.
• Orbital – Set in Kourou, French Guiana. the battle here is over a rocket launch site as a controversial space launch becomes a race against time.
• Discarded – Set in Alang, India, here you see shipbreakers facing tidal extremes as factions fight to secure rogue nuclear assets.
• Renewal – Set in the Eastern Desert, Egypt, players will fight for a groundbreaking agriculture technology center in the Egyptian Desert.
• Hourglass – Set in Doha, Qatar, shifting sands and a lost shipping convoy tear a city center apart.
• Breakaway – Set in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica, struggles over oil and gas pushes soldiers to the brink as industry clashes with nature and ice give way.

Moreover, Battlefield Portal also marks the return of six classic maps, all of which have been revitalized for the latest hardware.

• Battle of the Bulge (BF 1942)
• El Alamein (BF 1942)
• Arica Harbor (Bad Company 2)
• Valparaiso (Bad Company 2)
• Caspian Border (Battlefield 3)
• Noshahr Canals (Battlefield 3)

Battlefield 2042 minimum & recommended PC specs 

It doesn’t seem to matter too much if your PC is a bit old compared to the newer Nvidia 3000 series cards, as EA have outlined the minimum and recommended specs for PC users. These can be viewed down below.  

Minimum

• Operating System: 64-bit Windows 10
• Processor (AMD): AMD FX-8350
• Processor (Intel): Core i5 6600K
• Memory: 8GB
• Video Memory: 4GB
• Graphics Card (AMD): AMD Radeon RX 560
• Graphics Card (NVIDIA): Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
• DirectX: 12
• Online Connection Requirements: 512 KBPS or faster

Recommended

• Operating System: 64-bit Windows 10
• Processor (AMD): AMD Ryzen 5 3600
• Processor (Intel): Intel Core i7 4790
• Memory: 16GB
• Video Memory: 8GB
• Graphics Card (AMD): AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT
• Graphics Card (NVIDIA): Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060
• DirectX: 12
• Online Connection Requirements: 512 KBPS or faster

Battlefield 2042 features

At E3 2021, players got a new look at all the features that will be making their way into the title. We’ve compiled them below:

• Grappling Hook – Appearing briefly in the trailer, looks to add more mobility for players.
• Hot-swappable Attachments – This feature will be crucial to adapt and overcome what your opponents are bringing your way in a match.
• Environmental physics and weather – Further developing the world players will be existing in, we got a look at giant sandstorms that engulfed the location shown in the gameplay trailer.

Despite these fantastic reveals, it could be that the best is yet to come. During Michael ‘shroud’ Grzesiek’s co-stream of E3 2021, the streamer spoke about the trailer’s content, adding that “there’s definitely more [Battlefield 2042] that DICE and EA are going to show. There’s a lot more.” 

Battlefield seasonal content

Like most other games nowadays, BF2042 players can expect seasonal launches dropping with plenty of content. 

A 100-tier battle pass, six to eight new weapons, and new maps and specialists in every update are what players should expect, according to insider Tom Henderson.

Battlefield 2042 will be a “service”, not just a game, says EA

That’s in the words of EA CEO Andrew Wilson, who told investors that “you should think of Battlefield as a service”.

It follows the popular model of EA’s other big hitters, FIFA and Apex Legends. Whether it’s pure live-service (Apex Legends) or with yearly releases (like FIFA), Battlefield 2042 will fall into the same basket.

That means players shouldn’t just expect one launch and that’s it. Constant patches, updates, DLC content, and more are all part of BF2042 — as much as the game’s initial launch.

Will Battlefield have crossplay?

On July 14, it was confirmed that crossplay is currently being built and tested for Battlefield 2042.

The first taste of this crossplay functionality was on display during a recent technical playtest. Players across PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 were able to experiment with the feature for the first time as it’s still in early development.

• Read More: 5 classic maps we want to see in Battlefield 2042

Although it wasn’t a guarantee at first, EA soon confirmed that crossplay is indeed locked in for launch.

The developers intend on crossplay working out of the gate as follows:

• Crossplay with PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 (PC and console players can opt-out from playing together)
• Crossplay with Xbox One and PlayStation 4
• Current-gen hardware and PC players will not be able to crossplay with those on Xbox One or PlayStation 4.

Weapons and vehicles in Battlefield 2042

When it comes to weapons, DICE is giving more freedom to players in terms of customization than ever before. The new Plus System will allow Specialists to change up their weapons in real-time, and adjust them to fit the scenario that they’re in.

Of course, attachments aren’t important unless the guns are fun and satisfying to use. Luckily, thanks to a recent leak from Twitter user CODBF2042Leaks, we’ve now been given our first look at how a number of weapons will look and fire in-game.

According to the leaker, the clips were captured during the playtest and showcase gunfire and reload animations on a select number of guns.

Don’t forget, if you want to see a full list of the arsenal of weapons available in Battlefield 2042. check out our dedicated gun list.

https://twitter.com/CODBF2042Leaks/status/1432351831653560324?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1432351831653560324%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dexerto.com%2Fbattlefield%2Fbattlefield-2042-leak-reveals-first-look-at-weapons-recoil-and-reloading-1643372%2F

Moving on from the weapons, vehicles in Battlefield 2042 are going to be more focused on team collaboration and will have individual seats. Each of these seats will be allocated to a specific job, such as gunner seats, spotters seats, anti-air seats, and more.

This means in order to make the most out of vehicles in Battlefield 2042, players will have to work together and co-ordinate with each other.

Specialists in Battlefield 2042

Players will step into the boots of Specialists in Battlefield 2042, each with their own Specialist Trait and Specialty that they can use to their advantage.

It’s worth noting that alongside their specific abilities, Specialists will have fully customizable loadouts for players to tweak and perfect.

So far, EA has revealed four of the ten Specialists that players can expect to see at launch. You can check them out below:

Wikus “Casper” Van Daele

• Place of Birth: South Africa
• Class: Recon
• Specialty: OV-P Recon Drone
• Trait: Movement Sensor

Webster Mackay

• Place of Birth: Canada
• Class: Assault
• Specialty: Grappling Hook
• Trait: Nimble

Maria Falck

• Place of Birth: Germany
• Class: Support
• Specialty: S21 Syrette Pistol
• Trait: Combat Surgeon

Pyotr “Boris” Guskovsky

• Place of Birth: Russia
• Class: Engineer
• Specialty: SG-36 Sentry Gun
• Trait: Sentry Operator

Battlefield 2042 leaked “gadgets”

On top of the specialists, there’ll reportedly be access to gadgets to even further personalize your loadouts.

From support items like Recon Drones and Stim Pistols to supply drops and throwables, the gadgets should allow you to customize your playstyle to the extreme.

How many you’ll be able to equip — or whether you will be able to — remains to be seen. However, you can find the full list here.

Battlefield 2042 open beta and editions

There are three different Battlefield 2042 editions available to purchase and each of them offers a series of exclusive rewards and bonuses:

• Battlefield 2042 Standard Edition: $59.99 (PS4, Xbox One & PC) $69.99 (PS5 & Xbox Series X/S)
• Battlefield 2042 Gold Edition: $89.99 (PC) $99.99 (Console)
• Battlefield 2042 Ultimate Edition: $109.99 (PC) $119,99 (Console)

EA has confirmed that players who pre-order Battlefield 2042 ahead of the release date in October will receive access to the open beta at an unspecified date in September.

On top of this, EA Play members can try out the game on October 15 for a 10-hour trial period and receive 10% off their pre-order.

Battlefield 2042 battle royale mode

While it’s still possible Battlefield 2042 feature a BR mode down the line, it seems very unlikely to be coming any time soon.

With the focus on All Out Warfare, Portal, and Hazard Zone, EA has made no mention of a possible BR experience at this stage.

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Keep checking back often, as we’ll make sure to keep this article up-to-date with all the latest Battlefield 2042 release date news, leaks, and updates.

For more release hubs, check out all we know on the following games: CoD 2021 | The Elder Scrolls 6 | Halo Infinite | GTA 6 | Forza Horizon 5 | Diablo 2 Resurrected | Overwatch 2 | Far Cry 6 |