As expected, Electronic Arts has revealed the next entry in the Battlefield franchise during a recent live stream event. Battlefield 2042 (not to be confused with the 2006 title, Battlefield 2142) will release on October 22 for PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
Unlike every Battlefield game going back for the past 15 years, Battlefield 2042 will not have a single-player campaign. Instead, it will focus on multiplayer completely, harkening back to the first three games in the series. However, it will not have a battle royale component. At least at launch and as of this writing.
Multiplayer will feature 128 players on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Player counts will be limited to 64 on PS4 and Xbox One.
EA and DICE released a 5-minute in-engine cinematic trailer during the live stream event. That trailer can be seen at the top of this article. It shows a number of frenetic engagements across a wide variety of locales, many of which are presumably indicative of the types of maps found in the final game.
There are already quite a few previews out on the new Battlefield, many of which, including this one from Eurogamer, point out that there will be ways to influence moment-to-moment match gameplay. These variables seem to be baked into the maps, such as the rocket launch mentioned by Eurogamer, or the storms and tornadoes seen in the trailer and mentioned by Game Informer.
All in all, it does appear the next Battlefield will embrace the “all out warfare” moniker EA’s ascribed to during its development. DICE General Manager Oskar Gabrielson said in April:
I can tell you it is a bold step. It has everything we love about Battlefield – and takes all of it to the next level. Epic scale. All-out military warfare. Crazy, unexpected moments. Game-changing destruction. Massive battles, packed with more players and mayhem than ever before. All brought to life with the power of next-gen consoles and PCs.
Right now, it’s unclear how many modes Battlefield 2042 will have once it launches, though a press release regarding the reveal mentioned Conquest, Breakthrough, and Hazard Zone modes, the latter of which is “an all-new, high-stakes squad-based game-type.” EA said it’s “different” than the other two modes mentioned, but they didn’t elaborate just yet. There is a fourth game mode in the works, only described as a “love letter to Battlefield fans.”
The end of the Battlefield 2042 cinematic reveal trailer said that fans can expect a gameplay reveal on June 13, which just so happens to fall directly during E3 2021. Even though the developer and publisher isn’t officially taking part in E3, it seems they’ll hold some type of live stream anyway.
Battlefield 2042 can be pre ordered now on Origin, Steam, the PlayStation Store, and the Microsoft store. It’s also available physically through Amazon and other physical retailers.
There are three versions available, though they retail for different prices depending on the platform they’re purchased for.
- Standard Edition
- $59.99 (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
- $69.99 (PS5 and Xbox Series X|S)
- Gold Edition
- $89.99 (PC)
- $99.99 (Console)
- Ultimate Edition
- $109.99 (PC)
- $119.99 (Console)
As is usual, there will be a 10-hour EA Play members-only trial ahead of launch, starting on October 15. Those who sub to EA Play and/or pre order Battlefield 2042 ahead of launch will also gain access to the Battlefield 2042 beta, though specific dates and times haven’t yet been shared.
Stay tuned for more on Battlefield 2042 as we learn it.
