Battlefield 2042: All the Details We Know from E3

Battlefield 6 will officially be titled Battlefield 2042—and is set to have the largest maps we’ve seen in Battlefield.

The enormous maps, various multiplayer modes, and dynamic weather were all revealed during the EA DICE announcement for E3 on June 9. Fans are able to get their hands on Battlefield 2042 on October 22 2021.

This is possibly one of the most intense installations in the franchise yet—with the reveal of 128-player maps setting the internet wild. These maps will be available along with brand new vehicles, weapons, and add-ons to choose from. Did someone say robot dog? Yes, a robot dog has been confirmed in Battlefield 2042.

The real beans that EA DICE spilt were that this new instalment in the series would not have a campaign mode or a Battle Royale mode—as some reports had previously rumoured. However, there are three distinct multiplayer options that make up Battlefield 2042.

The setting for this game is more impressive and fleshed out than ever. The world of Battlefield 2042 is almost entirely desolate. Refugees struggle as water shortages paired with a food and energy crisis leads to the most catastrophic situation in humanity’s history. The refugees are known as non-Pats and are families and individuals consisting of soldiers, engineers, and farmers. Non-Pats don’t have a nation to hail from.

In modern society, there are only two main nations left. They fight it out for total global control. The United States and Russia battle for the final resources and the Non-Pat specialists are forced to join a side. Their only hope is to place their allegiance with the winning side, whichever it may be. In Battlefield 2042, it’s the Non-Pat specialist that players assume the role of.

Battlefield 2042 Multi-Player Modes

As their chosen specialist, players will have the ability to enjoy three multiplayer experiences. These modes are All-Out-War, HazardZone, and a yet-to-be-announced third option.

EA DICE called these three modes the “true evolution” for the Battlefield series.

The primary mode is All-Out-War—touted as the newer version of what we’ve previously seen in Battlefield. On Xbox Series X, PS5 and PC, All-Out-War allows for 128 players to duke it out across the map. Xbox One and PS4 players will play on a slightly slimmed down 64-player map due to the limitations of the now ageing hardware. While the maps are scaled down for previous generation consoles, they still include all the new and improved design.

Within All-Out-War is the Conquest option, and it’s a full-on war experience as players battle across an enormous area. EA DICE was keen to promote that the pace will vary based on players’ map location and playstyle. Expect chaos!

The final All-Out-War option, Breakthrough, operates on a more personal and guided level. An offensive side attacks a defensive side to capture one another’s areas. This is sure to end in enormous clashes in team-based assaults and one-on-one battles. It’s all up to the player.

All-Out-War isn’t all Battlefield 2042 has to offer. In addition to the variety of All-Out-War options, is Hazard Zone. This mode was showcased by EA DICE during the event as an “all-new, high-stakes, squad-based game-type for the Battlefield franchise”. This is most definitely not a battle royale option. Instead, it’s described as a mode that’s very different from the All-Out-War mode but still captures the essence of the Battlefield multiplayer experience.

There’s a third multiplayer experience that is due to be announced during EA Play on July 22. In development with DICE LA, this mystery mode is set to be entirely new to the franchise’s history is described as “a love letter to Battlefield fans, and one that long-time players will feel right at home with”.

For anyone concerned about whether Rush mode will make a return, EA DICE only addressed this by saying that All-Out-War was just one of the three eventual multiplayer modes that are coming for Battlefield 2042. The topic of cross-play will also be discussed in the July 22 EA Play event.

Sandbox, Specialists, and Weapons

The sandbox experience is going to be a prominent feature within Battlefield 2042, more so than any of the other games in the franchise. All the maps will boast destructible environments, dynamic weather, and immersive world interaction.

For the Battlefield fan who prefers playing against a computer over people online, Battlefield 2042 has you covered. There’s space for those who just want to learn the ropes with AI players that populate the multiplayer experience. You can also play with a mixture of AI and real-life players. These AI characters will apparently match the player’s skill level to test and hone your skills against.

Along with the emphasis on sandbox comes Specialists.

In the role of Non-Pat Specialists, players gain their own Specialty and Special Trait, with entirely custom loadouts. All weapons are available regardless of the Specialty and Special Trait selection. Specialists still follow the same classes–Medic, Assault, Support, Recon.

Battlefield 2042 will release with 10 Specialists, 4 of which we know to be:

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

The new Plus System allows for Specialists to change their weapon configuration at will, including choosing a barrel, ammo, undertype, and scope. Furthermore, a wingsuit will allow players to glide down from structures.

A few of the new weapons for Battlefield 2042 include the AV9, K30 and M5A3. Vehicles will include the usual suspects–helicopters, jets, tanks, and more. These vehicles can be requested to any location on the map at any time. This should allow for some fun team play opportunities.

The Seven Battlefield 2042 Maps

The maps coming to Battlefield 2042 will be:

Breakaway

Set in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica, Breakaway is Battlefield 2042’s largest map and measures 5.9 square kilometres. This map sees players fighting over oil and gas reserves, with exploding silos and distinct combat areas.

Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope is set in Sogdo, South Korea and sees you clashing to gain power over a disinformation hub. This map showcases huge skyscrapers with multiple floors, canals with amphibious vehicles, a TV station, and ziplines allowing you to traverse across rooftops.

Manifest

Set in Branai Island, Singapore, players will fight for access to limited supplies. This map is centred on a massive container yard and automated cranes which pick up and move containers as you play. Players can access ships that contain capture points. Combat in this map apparently gets pretty “intense”.

Discarded

Set in Alang, India, this map sets factions fighting each other to secure rogue nuclear assets. There are stranded ships dotted around this map, which were left beached after the change in water levels, including one called ‘Colossus’ which hides a submarine inside.

Renewal

Set in the Eastern Desert, Egypt, Renewal sees players fighting for a coveted agriculture technology centre in the Egyptian Desert. This is a map split in two. One side is lush and green while the other is a desolate desert wasteland.

Hourglass

Set in Doha, Qatar, Hourglass is a “city lost in time”–as described by EA DICE–and sees players fighting for a lost convoy. This is one of the larger maps–featuring a neon city with skyscrapers that light up as terrifying sandstorms pass over.

Orbital

Set in Kourou, French Guiana, this map allows players to battle over a rocket launch site as a “controversial space launch becomes a race against time”. This map sees a lot of action around the rocket launch and surrounding area, and the rocket can even take off–let’s just hope the launch goes to plan!

With all the maps, they’re broken up into sectors for players to move between. Each sector possess its own uniaue gameplay challenges and methods of combat.

Live Service Tiers and Playtest for Battlefield Veterans

The live service isn’t surprising, and EA DICE has commented that the battle pass for each season will offer a free and premium tier. The premium tier will only offer cosmetic items.

For every fan itching to dig into the massive maps and new weapons, EA DICE had good news in their announcement. Ahead of Battlefield 2042’s October launch, a technical playtest will allow US and European Battlefield veterans to test out the game–taking place in July. Participants will be chosen at the publisher’s discretion, and the playtest will be invite-only, accompanied by a stringent NDA.

Anyone who has pre-ordered the game will receive open beta early access. The dates of which will be revealed nearer the time of it happening.

Battlefield 2042 will be available on PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X as of October 22, 2021. With such a short time to wait, autumn 2021 is a happy horizon for players to look ahead to. This means that Battlefield 2042 will be going against the release of the new Call of Duty game, which will launch in October or November of this year.

June 13 marks the date a big Battlefield 2042 gameplay reveal will drop as part of E3 2021. The EA Play event on July 22 is the next checkpoint for fans where EA DICE will divulge more of the details about the third multiplayer mode. And, we will actually see how the game is going to play. It’s going to be an epic!