Recent weeks have been exciting for fans of the upcoming military shooter from Electronic Arts and Battlefield Studios, tentatively titled Battlefield 2042. A significant multiplayer reveal event took place in Los Angeles, providing attendees with hands-on experience with the game. Since then, EA has engaged in interviews and shared additional details about the highly anticipated release, slated for launch in the coming months. Furthermore, an extensive open beta phase is planned for later this week, spanning several weekends.
The amount of Battlefield 2042 information being disseminated can be overwhelming. To simplify things, we’ve compiled seven key pieces of information for your convenience. If you happen to encounter us on the virtual battlefield, we only ask for a temporary truce before engaging in combat. Without further ado, here are seven recently unveiled details about Battlefield 2042.
When Will the Battlefield 2042 Open Beta Commence?
EA’s planned Battlefield 2042 open beta will be segmented into three distinct sessions. The initial phase begins on Thursday, August 7, and concludes on August 9. However, access during this period requires an early access code. While this might blur the lines of what constitutes a truly “open” beta, it is what it is. Subsequently, from August 9 to August 10, anyone who has downloaded the Battlefield 2042 open beta can participate, regardless of code ownership. The beta will briefly pause that Monday before resuming on Thursday, August 14. This third session is also fully open to the public and will end in the early morning hours of August 17. The BF2042 beta will be accessible on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S and pre-loading is available now.
Below is the official schedule provided by EA and Battlefield Studios:
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Battlefield 2042 early access beta
- Starts Thursday, Aug. 7 @ 1am PDT / 4am EDT / 9am BST and ends Saturday, Aug. 9 @ 1am PDT / 4am EDT / 9am BST
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BF2042 Open beta – first weekend
- Starts Saturday, Aug. 9 @ 1am PDT / 4am EDT / 9am BST and ends Monday, Aug. 10 @ 1am PDT / 4am EDT / 9am BST
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BF2042 Open beta – second (final) weekend
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Starts Thursday, Aug.14 @ 1am PDT / 4am EDT / 9am BST and ends Sunday, Aug. 17 @ 1am PDT / 4am EDT / 9am BST
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Battlefield 2042 to Utilize Bots for Server Population
Battlefield Studios and EA have verified that AI-controlled bots will populate matches in Battlefield 2042 when there are insufficient human players on a given server. As more players join the match, these bots will be gradually replaced. Conversely, if players leave prematurely, bots will re-enter the fray. Battlefield 2042 development director Anna Narrevik mentioned in a recent discussion that the team has focused on allowing “as many players as possible to play the game simultaneously.” To fulfill that purpose, bots will fill in the gaps.
During the post-reveal event of Battlefield 2042, I had the chance to test my skill against some of the bots, and while their performance was not outstanding, they were capable of reviving teammates and capturing objectives. I am excited to see how often bots will be present in some game modes.
Skill-Based Matchmaking Will Be Present
Yes, BF2042 will incorporate skill-based matchmaking when determining player placement in matches and servers. However, EA emphasizes that skill is only one component in the matchmaking equation. As confirmed by CharlieIntel during a Q&A at the event, matchmaking takes multiple variables into consideration, from player ping, location, server availability, and skill factor.
This might seem like a small detail, but for some players, skill-based matchmaking is controversial, as they think that the only fun experiences come from playing against low-skilled players. Some players think it keeps a good balance for all players. As far as Battlefield 2042 goes, EA will likely try to keep teams balanced, similar to past Battlefield games. So just wait for the game to come out before panicking.
No Traditional Server Browser in Battlefield 2042
EA has publicly stated that Battlefield 2042 will launch without a server browser. This has been a classic feature of Battlefield games, letting players specifically look for servers that run certain maps and game modes that they like. In addition to that, they help develop communities and prevent griefing.
As an alternative, Battlefield 2042‘s server browser will be found in Portal, a game section that operates like Forge in Halo, and lets players create their own modes, maps, and game modes. This means that you can only use community-created modes with the server browser. The official modes will have to be accessed via regular servers. Alexia Christofi, a producer on BF2042, mentioned the server browser on social media after the event, and confirmed that the modes created by the community award XP, and the browser will be up front in the main menu. It will also have a filter. The question is how persistent the servers will be and if normal BF experiences will be a part of it. EA says that info is coming soon.
PC Players Need Secure Boot to Play Battlefield 2042
Battlefield Studios also said that its upcoming shooter will need Secure Boot on PC. This is a new way of preventing cheaters and malicious software from getting on your Windows 10 or 11 PC. While Secure Boot is good at stopping bad actors, it can cause headaches for users that have to upgrade older machines to get this feature. It is also prone to failures, which is shown in various Reddit threads where players are trying to get the launcher to work.
“Secure Boot provides us with features that we can leverage against cheats,” EA said on a blog. “It also lets the Battlefield Positive Play team use its own features…to combat other forms of cheating, the most relevant of which include: kernel-level cheats and toolkits, memory manipulation, spoofing, hardware ID manipulation, virtual machines… and other anti-cheat tools.” Even though that is good, the presence of this feature may turn off players. And worst of all, cheaters can get around this. Consoles won’t need this feature.
All Maps Available at Launch
EA mentioned the nine maps coming to Battlefield 2042 at launch. They are:
- Siege of Cairo
- Iberian Offensive
- Liberation Peak
- Empire State
- Operation Firestorm
- Saints Quarter
- New Sobek City
- Mirak Valley
- Manhattan Bridge
Operation Firestorm will be returning from Battlefield 3. EA said that they will bring more classic maps back based on feedback. All maps are available on all modes. All levels on BF2042 can scale up to make the experience better for the game mode. If you play deathmatch on Empire State, the NYC-based map, you will play on a scaled-down version made for the mode. If you play conquest on that map, you can explore the entire thing. So you really have more than nine maps on BF2042.
Launch Date, Price, and Platforms
EA and Battlefield Studios said the launch date, price, and platforms for the game. Battlefield 2042 will be available on October 10. There is no paid early access. The game costs $70, but the fancier version can be bought for $100. The game will be on PS5, PS5 Pro, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC.