With the release of a major new update for Battlefield 2042, EA has spoken a bit about what’s next for the game. That includes the launch of a new map and specialist, which will release next year, as well as time-limited 64-player modes for PC and new-gen consoles.
Following the 3rd update that launches today, a new patch is planned to arrive for Battlefield 2042 later in December. But it’s next year that will bring with it a slate of new content, including a map called Exposure. While we didn’t get any specific details about its setting or what it will involve, EA tells GameSpot that it will be something special by saying it “tak[es] map design to a whole new level.” Just what that means is anyone’s guess at this point.
2022 will see the launch of the game’s first live season, and we’ll also be getting a new specialist, weapons, gadgets, and vehicles. Over the course of the year, we’ll get multiple seasons, each with its own set of new content. Further specifics have not been shared, and we don’t yet know the release schedule for any of this.
With the release of the new patch, Rush mode can now be played on 2042’s new maps, and weekly missions have been reintroduced. Later in December, EA will add limited-time matchmaking modes allowing both Conquest and Breakthrough to be played with just 64 players on PC and PS5/Xbox Series X|S. On these platforms, the modes are normally played with 128 players–one of the game’s new features with the launch of the new-gen hardware–with the 64-player cap in place for last-gen consoles.
EA also restated its intent to continue developing the core experience in the wake of criticisms about the game’s launch. “We’re committed to continuing to improve and evolve the core gameplay of 2042,” the company said. That will continue in the next patch coming later this month, and the company again said it’s working to bring back conspicuously absent “fan-favorite systems” such as a scoreboard. It’s also working on unspecified “improvements to social systems.”
Battlefield 2042 launched in November, sandwiched in between Call of Duty: Vanguard and the Halo Infinite multiplayer beta release, the latter of which came just days after 2042’s early access period began. While quite fun, as you can read about in our Battlefield 2042 review, there were numerous bugs that have impacted the game, and features like a scoreboard and in-game voice chat were absent. This has contributed to the game receiving “mostly negative” reviews on Steam, as an angry portion of the player base asks for changes and improvements. Even this latest patch has brought new problems of its own, such as blocking horizontal mouse movement on PC.