Battlefield 2042 is the next entry in the critically acclaimed Battlefield franchise. The game is a very different entry when it comes to the Battlefield series. It takes a lot of what made past games popular and runs with it, but it’s also very much its own game that’s separate from all of this. In this guide, we’ll cover all the details you need to know about the game before its release. From the release date to the smallest details about how everything works behind the scenes, we’re going to cover it all.
Battlefield 2042 Release Date
The game’s release date is October 22, 2021. It will hit digital storefronts and retailers at the same time. It’s possible that there will be some sort of early access through pre-orders, but this is the official release date. On the day, you’ll be able to jump into everything that the game has to offer. However, it’s worth being prepared for things to go wrong, since this is an online game mainly. While there are offline modes, it’s not really possible for anyone to play without an internet connection. If you have an iffy wi-fi system, then consider giving the game a miss.
Multiplayer-Only
The first thing that you need to know about the game is that it doesn’t have a single-player mode. At least not in the traditional sense. This game is meant to be played online with others, and it’s meant to be played as a multiplayer shooter. Up to 128 players can compete in every match, but it’s not all battle royale. In fact, there isn’t a battle royale game mode. Instead, the game has its own multiplayer modes that players will work through. It’s not known if there will be a variety of game modes within one match, but it’s likely that all past game modes from the series will return.
If there aren’t enough players to fill a game with 128 people, then the game populates the space with AI bots. These are going to act like players, though obviously, they won’t be quite as advanced. In fact, there’s a good chance that they’ll be little more than target practice for those who know what they’re doing. The 128 player modes are everywhere. However, you can play cooperatively with others, meaning the enemy team will be made up of bots. You’re also able to play a sort of solo mode. You’ll face down against 127 bots. So while it will still be a multiplayer game in some shape, it’s not going to be a totally online experience.
Story?
No one really knows what the story of this game is. It looks like the world has seen a lot of war. To the point that all the military forces are now incredibly advanced. However, it also looks like the world has changed drastically, with weather being even more erratic than it is today. While developer DICE says this isn’t a commentary on climate change, the similarities to the changing climate in the real world are undeniable. We hope it makes people stop and think a little bit more. In terms of gameplay, the weather is a big threat to contend with. There will be storms and tornadoes ripping the maps apart, and players are going to need to combat those if they want to win.
Soldiers in the world seem to have been pushed out of the fringes of society. The world seems to have forgotten that war is still raging, and as a result, there’s no accountability for the combat raging around the world. From the tiny hints of story that we’ve seen, we’d say that soldiers are trying to make a point about war being a problem, and people need to be made aware of it.
As far as any concrete storylines go though, that’s it. DICE will almost certainly have a battle pass and seasonal model that will see a story play out over the course of weeks and months. This is the nature of all games-as-a-service now, and it’s not about to change now. However, this game is a premium release, so it may be a bit hard for players to swallow the fact that they have to pay for more content on top of everything they’re already paying for. It’s going to be interesting to see how that works.
Expansive Model
This game will have a portal that allows players to dive into past game modes and maps. It’s part of bringing together the entire Battlefield franchise under one entry. This means that you can play a match in any map in the franchise’s history, regardless of whether that’s from the original game, or Battlefield 1. This is a system that some publishers are looking to adopt because it means that they can keep everything in a single location. It makes it easier to update maps and provide new content for the entire player base, not just one game at a time.
On the other hand, it’s a way to do away with any more physical releases, keeping everything in a digital portal. Not everyone will be a fan of this, but it’s the way that times are changing. Most players are just going to have to cope with it.
Other Details
DICE is being extremely secretive with this game, more so than any other. It’s totally unlike the Call of Duty marketing machine that constantly churns out stuff for players to get excited about or play. In a weird way, it’s almost as if DICE is going against that model because it’s what everyone knows. It wants to make this game one that everyone will stop and take note of. It’s certainly looking like it will go that way, but the gameplay needs to be good if it’s going to stand up against all of this conceptual thinking. With crossplay across every platform also being a big feature, this game could undo Call of Duty and set a brand new standard for shooters. Only time will tell, but we’re pretty confident that this is going to be the best shooter of 2021.