Battlefield 2042 release date, trailers, gameplay and modes

The new Battlefield is officially called ‘Battlefield 2042’ and we’re going to get our hands on it this October.

Developer EA DICE has described Battlefield 2042 as “the most ambitious” entry in the series yet and it certainly sounds like it. Battlefield 2042 will boast massive 128-player maps, dynamic weather, and a host of new vehicles and weapons to play with. And while Battlefield 2042 won’t have a campaign mode, or a Battle Royale mode (which was previously rumored), players will have access to three “distinct, standout multiplayer experiences”.

Want to know more? Read on for everything we know about Battlefield 2042.

Battlefield 2042: cut to the chase

What is it? The next installment in the Battlefield game series
When can I play it? October 22, 2021
What can I play it on? PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One and PC

Battlefield 6 release date, platforms and price

Battlefield 2042 will release on October 22, 2021, for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One and PC.

Battlefield 2042 pre-orders are live now, with three different editions to choose from. The standard PS4, Xbox One and PC versions cost $59.99 / £59.99, while the Xbox Series X/S and PS5 versions cost $69.99 / £69.99. The Battlefield 2042 Gold Edition is also available for $89.99 / £89.99 on PC and $99.99 / £99.99 on console, while the Battlefield 2042 Ultimate Edition is $109.99 / £109.99 on PC or $119.99 / £119.99 on console. Australian pricing is TBC.

Those who pre-order will receive early access to the open beta - scroll down for more information on the beta and technical playtest.

Battlefield 6 trailers

Battlefield 2042 reveal trailer
The first official trailer for Battlefield 2042 was shown during the Battlefield reveal on June 9.

EA Play 2020
The upcoming Battlefield was featured in a tech trailer during EA Play 2020, though we didn't know much about it back then. In the trailer, we only caught a glimpse of some "work in progress" footage, which showed facial animations and a large number of soldiers running into battle.

From the brief glimpses we've seen, it looks like facial animations will be more realistic than previously and that we're going to see battlefields getting even larger this time round (the latter has been confirmed since).

"We are creating epic battles at a scale and fidelity unlike anything you've experienced before", EA's chief studios officer Laura Miele said during the video. It may not be much to go on, but it suggests Dice plans to utilize the power of the new consoles to its utmost. Check it out for yourself below, at the 44-minute mark:

Battlefield 2042 setting

Battlefield 2042 is set in a world that is on the brink of complete devastation. Food, energy and water shortages have led to the “greatest refugee crisis in human history”, following the failure of many of the world’s nations. Among these refugees are the “Non-Patriated” (also known as the No-Pats), made up of families, farmers, engineers and soldiers, who have been left without a nation to call their own.

The last two superpowers that remain are the United States and Russia, who are battling it out for control of the globe’s last remaining resources. In order to survive, Non-Pat Specialists join both sides so that, when the final bullet is fired, they have “a seat at the table”. Players will take on the role of one of these Non-Pat Specialists.

EA DICE has called Battlefield 2042 a “true evolution” of the Battlefield franchise.

Battlefield 2042 multiplayer modes

Battlefield 2042 will have three “distinct, standout multiplayer experiences” according to EA DICE, but Battle Royale isn’t one of them.

The first of these multiplayer experiences is All-Out War, which is described as the next-generation of the Conquest and Breakthrough modes we have seen in the series before. This mode features huge 128-player maps on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X, while PS4 and Xbox One players will have 64-player versions of these maps, which have been scaled down for the last-gen consoles but are still larger than in previous entries (read on for more information on these maps). EA DICE has assured players “that gameplay, events and moments will all be felt for Battlefield players on whatever platform they play on”.

Conquest mode is the “classic all-out war experience” and will see players fighting over a massive space. According to EA DICE, this mode has a lot of varied pacing, with players choosing where to go and how to fight. EA DICE says that Conquest will feature moments with lots of players, making combat a bit chaotic, while other moments will be less chaotic and more personal.

Breakthrough, on the other hand, is a more guided experience. This mode sees one side attacking and the other defending, in an attempt to capture areas, and will see both sides coming head-to-head in massive clashes.

In addition to All-Out War, Battlefield 2042 will feature two other multiplayer experiences. The second of these is Hazard Zone, an “all-new, high-stakes, squad-based game-type for the Battlefield franchise”. EA DICE has emphasized that this is not a battle royale mode, instead, it’s apparently a “modern take on the multiplayer experience that is distinctly DICE but very different from All-Out Warfare’s Conquest or Breakthrough modes”. We’re due to find out about this mode in the coming months.

The third multiplayer experience is set to be announced at EA Play on July 22. This experience is being developed by DICE LA and will be another completely new mode for the franchise. EA DICE has called this third experience “a love letter to Battlefield fans and one that long-time players will feel right at home with”.

EA DICE also revealed that Battlefield 2042 will have a battle pass for each season that will include a free and premium tier - though the premium tier will apparently only offer cosmetic items and never maps.

According to the developer, each season will push the world’s narrative forward and introduce new content. Battlefield 2042 is set to have four seasons in its first year - with four new Specialists to be introduced as well as new locations.

Battlefield 2042 maps

Battlefield 2042's All Out War multiplayer experience will launch with seven maps. Due to the size of these maps, each is broken into distinct sectors, with multiple objectives within those sectors which are arranged in clusters. Clusters are areas where objects and objectives are focused in one space, such as a village, stadium or oil platform. These sectors change how you take control of areas, with securing a sector requiring completing all the objectives within that sector.

Check them out below:

Kaleidoscope
Set in Songdo, South Korea, this will see you clashing to control a disinformation hub. This map features huge skyscrapers with multiple floors, canals outside 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 supply lines. This map features a massive container yard and automated cranes which pick up and move containers as you play. Players can also access ships that contain capture points. Combat in this map apparently gets “intense”.

Orbital
Set in Kourou, French Guiana, this map sees you battling 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 - but apparently, it doesn’t always go as planned...

Discarded
Set in Alang, India, this map sees factions fighting to secure rogue nuclear assets. There are huge stranded ships dotted around this map, which were stranded due to the changing water levels, including one called ‘Colossus’ which hides a submarine inside.

Renewal
Set in the Eastern Desert, Egypt, Renewal sees players fighting for a groundbreaking agriculture technology center in the Egyptian Desert. This is a map of two halves: one side lush and green and the other desert wasteland.

Hourglass
Set in Doha, Qatar, Hourglass is a “city lost in time” and sees players fighting for a lost convoy. One of the larger maps, this map features a neon city, with skyscrapers that light up as massive sandstorms pass through, a stadium overrun by sand, and a huge highway intersection where the convoy has come to stop.

Breakaway
Set in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica, Breakaway is Battlefield 2042’s largest map at 5.9km2. This map sees players fighting over oil and gas reserves, and features exploding silos and distinct combat areas.

Due to the size of these maps, each is broken into distinct sectors, with multiple objectives within those sectors which are arranged in clusters. Clusters are areas where objects and objectives are focused in one space, such as a village, stadium or oil platform. These sectors change how you take control of areas, with securing a sector requiring completing all the objectives within that sector.

Battlefield 2042 Specialists

Players will take on the role of Specialists in Battlefield 2042, soldiers with their own unique Special Trait and Speciality, but with fully customizable loadouts - so you can use any weapon.

Specialties can take the form of a grappling hook, which lets Assault Specialists zip to higher spots; an OV-P Recon Drone, which allows Recon Specialists to pinpoint targets; or a S21 Syrette Pistol, allowing Support Specialists to fire health vials at those who need them.

The new Battlefield will launch with 10 Specialists, with each falling under a traditional class of either Engineer, Assault, Support or Recon. So far, we know of four Specialists:

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

Specialists can change their weapon configuration on the go thanks to Battlefield 2042’s new ‘Plus System’ - which allows you to change your scope, undertype, barrel and ammo type on the move. Players will also have access to a wingsuit so they can glide off tall structures in maps.

Players will also get access to new weapons including an M5A3, K30 and AV9. In addition, vehicles will play a big role in this game, with players able to access tanks, fighter jets, helicopters and more - which can be requested at any time to any location. According to EA DICE, vehicles in Battlefield 2042 are a “platform for great team play”. Each vehicle seat has a vital role to play, so having more players in your vehicle makes it a more efficient weapon.

Battlefield 2042 gameplay

Battlefield 2042 is set to lean into the sandbox experience more than any other entry in the series. Maps have dynamic weather which will see players avoiding (or utilizing) the likes of tornadoes and sandstorms. In addition, Battlefield 2042 features destructible environments and terrain, ground deformation and levolution, while there will also be “smaller ways” to interact with the world including raising or lowering bollards and bridges to prevent vehicles from passing.

In addition, a nice quality-of-life feature means that Specialists can change their weapon configuration on the go thanks to Battlefield 2042’s new ‘Plus System’ - which allows you to change your scope, undertype, barrel and ammo type on the move. Players will also have access to a wingsuit so they can glide off tall structures in maps.

For those who aren’t comfortable fighting against real players, or want to get to grips with Battlefield before jumping into these matches, there is the ability to play this multiplayer experience against and with AI players. You’ll also be able to play with a mix of real-life and AI players. These AI players will reportedly scale based on a player’s skill and AI battles will contribute to a player's overall progress.

Technical playtest

If you want to get your hands on Battlefield 2042 ahead of its October release then you’re in luck. EA DICE is set to host a technical playtest in July for those who have been identified as series veterans (US and Europe only). These players will be invited to play in a closed environment under NDA.

Following this, but before launch, those who have pre-ordered Battlefield 2042 will receive early access to an open beta. Details on how this open beta hasn't been shared yet.

Battlefield 2042 news

Gameplay trailer on June 13
EA DICE is set to reveal the first look at Battlefield 2042's gameplay on June 13 as part of Microsoft's E3 2021 showcase.

No Battle Royale plans
EA DICE confirmed during a virtual preview of Battlefield 2042 that the developer has no plans to include a Battle Royale mode at launch.

EA recruits Call of Duty exec
EA has recruited a former Call of Duty exec to help grow the Battlefield series. The company recently announced it has hired former Call of Duty General Manager, Byron Beede, as the General Manager and Senior Vice President on the Battlefield (via IGN). With EA saying that the hire "signals a strategic, long-term commitment to the growth of the franchise".

But it's Beede's experience that is most interesting. Beede has previously been the General Manager of both the Call of Duty and Destiny franchises, most notably worked on the launch of Call of Duty's live service offering, Call of Duty Mobile and Call of Duty: Warzone.

While Beede is set to focus primarily on the future of the Battlefield franchise, his knowledge of live service games will likely be a huge boon to Battlefield 2042.