Having shot up the near-future in Battlefield 2042, DICE and EA are using a modern-day setting with the next instalment of their military FPS series. According to EA studios group general manager and Respawn chief Vince Zampella, the new, currently untitled shooter will be one of those "back to basics" sequels that tries to rebottle the lightning of Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4 - these being the "peak" Battlefield games, in Zampella's view.
]]>It looks like we won’t get a remake of Dead Space 2 in the style of last year’s excellent do-over of the original limb-shooting horror game, but it turns out that Dead Space isn’t completely, uh, dead just yet. Though to what degree you could consider it alive and well - reanimated in a twisted form of its previous glory, perhaps - is another question entirely.
]]>The next Battlefield game after the underwhelming Battlefield 2042 will continue to lean on the series’ evolution into a live service offering, the CEO of EA has said, while revealing that the largest development team in the series’ history is currently working on the upcoming shooter.
]]>The Battlefield series increasingly seems like a square peg held by a publisher that only owns round holes. Created by EA Dice, overseen now by Respawn CEO Vince Zampella, recently worked on by EA's founded-and-shuttered Ridgeline Studios, and now EA Motive are the latest to be stuck with the beleaguered milsim.
In an update announcing that seasonal updates for Battlefield 2042 were drawing to an end, EA say that Motive Studio - best known for the Dead Space remake - are "building a team focused on Battlefield at their studio."
]]>DICE's once-ramshackle, apparently much-improved near-future shooter Battlefield 2042 is free to play this weekend, granting access to the game's Season 6 "Dark Creations" content offerings, amongst other things. BUT WAIT. There's an asterisk over the word "free" on the promo art! Everybody drop to cover! See, these are the tiny details you have to watch out for in Battlefield. That asterisk could be the equivalent of the glint on a sniper rifle, aimed squarely at your wallet, purse and/or khaki-coloured bumbag. Let's zoom in on the footnote...
]]>Good news for fans of heavy artillery, less good news for lovers of sleek rides. Criterion Games, the British-based creator of the Burnout racing series and recent Need for Speed titles, will work primarily on EA and DICE's Battlefield shooters in future. The studio's first objective: improving the contemporary-set Battlefield 2042, which our Ed Thorn described as "an FPS package that has its fun moments, but one that's blighted by performance issues" back in 2021.
]]>Battlefield 2042's update 3.2 will arrive next week, which is notable because it will revive Battlefield's traditional class system. If you were one of the many players to be frustrated by 2042's Specialists, then 3.2 is your chance to once again don the roles of Assault, Engineer, Recon and Support.
]]>EA Dice would like to remind you once again that they are "all-in" on Battlefield, and their latest evidence is laying out their plans for updating Battlefield 2042 in 2023. Those plans include reintroducing classes, the first details on season four and its new specialist, and the confirmation that there will be a season five.
]]>War never changes, but sometimes it arrives on a generous games subscription package. Battlefield 2042 is now available on Game Pass, along with a new map, specialist, weapons and Battle Pass gubbins for Season 3. Most folks seem to regard 2042 as a misstep compared to the triumph of Battlefield 1, but hey, Game Pass is a great way to check if they're right. You can't shoot railguns in the swedish wilderness back in WW1, can you now.
]]>EA and Dice are still trying to revive their flagging near-future military shooter Battlefield 2042 a year after launch. They’re targeting the subscription service market, together with the start of Battlefield 2042’s upcoming Season 3: Escalation in December, bringing the game to both EA Play and Microsoft’s Game Pass Ultimate. Of course, EA Play is included in regular PC Game Pass, so there's that. You can find out more by watching the development update video below.
]]>There’s a war going on between instalments in the Battlefield series, and it looks like Battlefield 1 is coming out on top for now. The World War One FPS has been spotted nestled in Steam’s top ten best-selling games rankings (thanks, Emopulse), although it's since slipped out again. Battlefield 1’s also set a record over the weekend for its all-time highest concurrent player numbers, reaching more than 50,000 players in the past 24 hours. I say, tip top.
]]>Battlefield 2042 is getting a new in-game event from October 11th until the 25th. Called The Liquidators Event, it adds a new mode focused on fast-paced, close-quarters combat featuring only infantry and no vehicles. You'll find a trailer and more details below.
]]>In an announcement today, general manager of the Battlefield series Byron Beede announced that Ridgeline Games, the new EA studio led by Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto, is developing the next singleplayer campaign in the series.
Beede also wrote that they are "all-in on Battlefield", with DICE continuing to work on Battlefield multiplayer and a third studio, Ripple Effect, "creating an entirely new Battlefield experience."
]]>On this week's episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang, we get all nostalgic as we pick our favourite FPS game modes over the years. It's mainly an excuse for me for me to bring up Gears Of War and it's long-forgotten Wingman mode, which I demand make a return to the series. I also learn that Hayden likes big games, big modes, and big comradery.
]]>Battlefield 2042 continues to receive updates as EA Dice attempt to fix a game that felt woefully incomplete at launch. Which makes it a little odd that the marquee change in patch 4.1 is the removal of a feature: Breakthrough mode can no longer be played with 128 players, and is now limited to 64.
Not that Battlefield 2042's website or digital store pages have been updated to reflect that change yet.
]]>The latest update to Battlefield 2042 is out today and it’s a big one. Oh hey, and players can talk to each other at last.
]]>Electronic Arts released Battlefield 2042 before it was finished, and they're still scrambling to add bits it should've had four months ago. Today they release Update 0.3.3, with the main change being a new scoreboard which actually shows scores. They also now say that their multiplayer game where large teams compete over objectives will finally add voice chat with the next update, which is tentatively scheduled for early April.
]]>Earlier this week, Dice announced that they were delaying Battlefield 2042's first season in order to focus on "extensive fixes to the game." One of those fixes were changes to the game's scoreboard due in late February, but today the development team announced those had slipped into early March instead.
]]>Battlefield 2042's first season of post-release content is being delayed so that its developers can focus on implementing "extensive fixes to the game." Voice comms, a revised scoreboard and better player profiles are all on the way before season one arrives early summer, among other changes designed to improve the dev team's communication with players.
]]>Dice are continuing their efforts to fix up Battlefield 2042, with today bringing a patch fixing issues including some wonky hit registration, some crashes, and a bit of rubberbanding. Looking ahead, they've also revealed the much-requested new scoreboard which will arrive in February. After a few months, maybe the game will get to the state it should have been in when it launch in November.
]]>This week's episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang is both festive, but tinged with sadness. It's Imogen's final run of the pod and I'm very sad about it. But we (I) gather ourselves and chat FPS news, like how PUBG is going free to play, Overwatch actually has something new, and lots of Halo Infinite stuff. We also get one final update on Imogen's Apex Legends rank. I'd love to say it's positive, but it's actually quite crushing. Merry Christmas.
]]>The Great Battlefield 2042 Fix continues, with the final promised patch of this year having gone live today. While it’s not as hefty as previous updates, it’s still full of tweaks. And that’s good, because this game could use them. Expect your bullets to find their targets a bit better, various audio improvements, and rooftop objective removals from the Breakthrough mode.
]]>Electronic Arts have announced plans to build a "connected Battlefield universe", as part of sweeping changes to the development teams behind the military shooter. As part of the changes, Vince Zampella - co-founder of Respawn, developers of Apex Legends - is now overseeing the Battlefield franchise, and Marcus Lehto (best known for Halo) is building a new studio to create narrative experiences within the series.
]]>Having released a slew of fixes last week, Dice continues their Battlefield 2042 rescue operation with a big patch that adds weekly missions, visual improvements to maps, UI tweaks, and Portal changes. So yes, there's a lot to get through. Shall we?
]]>In the last few weeks I’ve spent a lot of time looking through scopes. Red dots and ACOGs and telescopic ones. From one FPS to the other, I put my eye up to a lens and I press triggers. Sometimes I’m a sniper dropping Nazis to protect my father, sometimes I’m a soldier surrounded by 127 other players. Lately, I’m a chunky spartan with crunchy crayon armour.
All this time with the three big FPSes of the year, each packaged in their own ways, has left me wondering what’s important nowadays. Do they need campaigns, or is multiplayer-only the way to go? How about introducing one a bit later than the other?
]]>This week's episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang is, once again, all about the big releases. Battlefield 2042's in a bit of state, so we talk about the many patches scheduled to fix it up. We've also heard that those banned in Call Of Duty: Vanguard will be banned across the entire series, which is nice. Halo Infinite's multiplayer surprise launched and Outriders DLC appears out of nowhere too. Imogen rounds off the news with her Apex Legends ranked update. Has she reached the platinum dream?
]]>After releasing Battlefield 2042 in an unready state, Dice today took a step towards fixing and finishing it by releasing a wee patch which tweaks weapon balance and fixes some bugs. Bullet spread on all guns except shotguns is reduced, for starters, making them more accurate. The ludicrous hovercraft is less murderous too. And they've wiped out bugs including one which left players stuck downed, unable to respawn. Read on for more.
]]>Both of this year’s blockbuster FPSes, Call Of Duty: Vanguard and Battlefield 2042, launched with something up their sleeves: bugs. Even after some patches, these darn creepy crawlies aren’t shaken off so easily. These games are plagued by crashes, glitches, and general instability, to the point where playing them can be as fun as wading through a swarm of locusts.
Halo Infinite, though? The multiplayer component that had a bunch of flight tests? Pretty solid. Sure, a few bugs and matchmaking issues, but for the most part, it’s the most stable multiplayer FPS I’ve played this year. What was 343’s magic pesticide? Time. Simple as. Something Vanguard and Battlefield 2042 are only just catching up on.
]]>Looking for info on the Battlefield 2042 Battle Pass? Like many popular FPS titles these days, Battlefield 2042 will have a battle pass including regular cosmetic rewards that you earn while you play, along with other new content to enjoy. Now that the full game has launched, many are looking ahead to what they can expect from these post-launch content updates. We were pretty interested too, so we’ve scoured through Dice's many blog posts to find all the details and collated them here in one lovely guide.
As always, things are subject to change and there’s plenty that we still want to learn about Battlefield 2042’s post-launch plans, so expect this guide to receive frequent updates as we discover more about upcoming seasons, including the release dates for each Battle Pass. For now, we'll offer a full breakdown of what kinds of content you can expect with each season.
]]>Battlefield 2042 isn't in the best place right now. It's a game lacking many classic Battlefield features, and in amongst those empty spaces? Bugs. Lots of em. Dice know this and they've detailed three updates to address some of these issues, all of which are due out by the end of this year.
]]>Looking for the best AK-24 loadout in Battlefield 2042? The AK-24 is far more accurate than it was at launch. While it still suffers from drastic recoil, the bullet spread has been substantially lowered, making it easier to place shots and drop enemies. This makes the AK-24 one of the best guns in Battlefield 2042, but there's still room for improvement. This AK-24 loadout aims to make the AK-24 more controllable so that you can spend less time staring at the sky and more time staring down the barrel at your enemies.
Bullet spread was addressed in the first of three planned updates due in Battlefield 2042 before the holidays. While this update made improvements to many automatic weapons with its bullet spread changes, it also nerfed the PP-29 by increasing its recoil. We'll update this guide regularly to reflect any other changes made to the AK-24 in updates that are set to arrive in the coming weeks.
]]>Want to know how to fly a helicopter in Battlefield 2042? Helicopters are key to any battle, but they’re also notoriously hard to fly. You’ll hop in, take off, and immediately start spinning around in the air, hitting any and every button hoping to regain some control before barrelling into the nearest building. It’s a stressful, yet alluring process. Sure, you might die 100 times trying to learn how to fly a helicopter, but eventually, you’ll get one sweet kill with rockets and it all feels worth it.
This guide will teach you everything that you need to know to fly a helicopter in Battlefield 2042. We’ll cover the best keybinds to make piloting a helicopter much easier and go over a few tips that you should remember before taking to the skies.
]]>Most of Battlefield 2042's classic Conquests and Hazard Zones aren't my jam, but there's one thing I'm keeping an eye on, and that's Portal. The custom mode editor isn't exactly swimming in creativity just yet, but interesting things are slowly beginning to emerge as time goes by. Like Andy's Wingsuit Trainer, a course set among the clouds where you wing it through floating hoops as quickly as you can. Bravo Andy. Bravo.
]]>Want to know the best loadout in Battlefield 2042? Battlefield 2042 is filled with all the FPS goodies that you'd expect - you shoot a lot, you die a lot. That's not how it has to be all the time, though. With the best loadouts to hand, you can dominate on the Battlefield and clutch up plenty of kills. Not that there's a scoreboard to climb, mind you. Still, it's always fun to get all the kills and know you're doing well, even if you can't brag about it to everyone else.
Battlefield has received plenty of tweaks and changes with various patches since launch. The PP-29, mentioned in one of the loadouts below, has been nerfed, but still remains at the top of the meta. These are the best loadouts in Battlefield 2042 right now, and we will continue to update them regularly as we draw closer to season 1, which should launch with new guns, maps, and a battle pass in early 2022.
]]>Want to know the best M5A3 loadout in Battlefield 2042? The M5A3 is - as the name suggests - an improved M4A1. The numbers are slightly higher, because in 20 years it's probably got slightly better. Other than the new name, it's largely the same as always - the M5A3 is a well-balanced gun that can't go wrong. With power, speed, and accuracy all in one package, the M5A3 is one of the best guns in Battlefield 2042, so you're sure to see it used an awful lot by your allies and enemies. If you want to stand apart from the crowd and rack up kills (not that anyone will know since there's no scoreboard), you'll need the best M5A3 loadout in Battlefield 2042. Luckily, we've got just the thing.
This guide will cover the attachments, secondary weapon, character, and equipment you need to use to make the best M5A3 loadout. As the Battlefield 2042 preseason approaches, we've seen plenty of updates launch with changes and tweaks to many different weapons. While some, like the PP29, have seen nerfs, the M5A3 has stayed strong throughout. If any future updates make important changes to the M5A3, we'll be sure to update this guide to let you know!
]]>I’ve spent some more time with FPS Battlefield 2042, having freed myself from EA’s vice grip. And it’s safe to say the fields of battle have taken on a vastly different complexion now it’s largely in the hands of many more players. Compared to my three-night imprisonment alongside other journos and influencers, my feelings have definitely levelled out.
The honeymoon period is over, basically. My relationship with the game in the real world, outside of EAs strict boundaries has lessened. I’m sorry to say it, but we’ve grown apart. Things are average between us, and perhaps only Portal, the game’s custom mode creator, can salvage things.
]]>During Battlefield 2042's week of early access for people who paid extra, players were more forgiving of bugs and wonk with the expectation that it would be fixed by a launch patch. Well, the game is out today, the launch patch has hit, and the game is still in a bit of a state. 78% of the 5500-odd player reviews on Steam are negative right now, with many complaining about crashes, poor performance, and more. Dice have said they plan to launch two patches in the next month.
]]>Looking for the best PBX-45 loadout in Battlefield 2042? The PBX-45 is the first SMG that you unlock in Battlefield 2042, so you might be surprised to learn that it is also one of the best guns in the game right now. With laser accuracy and a fast time-to-kill, the PBX-45 can shred through groups of enemies at close-range. If you want to dominate when taking objectives and wipe entire squads with a single magazine, then the PBX-45 is your gun.
This guide will cover how to make the best PBX-45 loadout and class setup in Battlefield 2042, including info on the best attachments, secondary weapon, and equipment to use. We'll also explain which character you should pair with the PBX-45 if you want to net lots of kills.
As Battlefield 2042 has just launched, we expect the meta to shift drastically over the coming weeks. We'll update this guide regularly to reflect any tweaks made to the PBX-45 and add any additional info needed about this weapon.
]]>Want to know the best weapon in Battlefield 2042? Battlefield 2042 gives a lot more freedom by removing the class system, allowing you to freely pick any weapon to adapt to different situations. With 19 weapons to try, it's not easy to immediately know which you should be using. Fortunately, we've scoured through them all and picked out the best weapons in Battlefield 2042. Below, we'll provide a full ranked weapon tier list for Battlefield 2042, and we'll also dive deeper into some of our favourite guns to explain why they need to be in your loadout.
Dice currently have several patches planned to fix various issues and concerns that players have raised since launch. The first of these patches dropped recently, nerfing the PP-29 by increasing recoil while tightening the spread on various automatic weapons to make them more accurate. This has slightly changed the order of our list, but you'll see below that the PP-29 is still the best gun in Battlefield 2042, despite the recent changes.
]]>Want to know how to fly jets in Battlefield 2042? Getting a jet feels like winning the lottery in Battlefield. The entire team fights over them, but only one lucky winner can become an ace pilot and take to the skies. When you get the golden ticket, you watch the spawn cinematic as your pilot gears up to claim victory, and then you take control. You've dreamt of this moment, so it's time to make the most of it. You push the throttle forward, aim towards an objective and, after a few awkward turns and a risky scrape against the nearby skyscraper, you plummet towards the ground in a fiery wreck. Sigh. Maybe next time, Goose.
Jets are notoriously difficult to master in Battlefield, but we're here to help. This guide covers how to fly jets in Battlefield 2042, with our preferred keybinds and some useful tips that should transform your piloting experience into something that closely resembles a scene out of Top Gun.
]]>Want to know how to use the wingsuit in Battlefield 2042? One of the best parts in Battlefield 2042's reveal trailer was watching soldiers whizz through the air with winguits as a whopping tornado chewed up the scenery. With Battlefield 2042 finally here, you might want to run towards the nearest mountaintop, building ledge, or some other high vantage point, and immediately jump off to use the wingsuit. However, you might discover that you just have a boring parachute instead, which is much less fun. That's because the wingsuit is locked to Sundance, one of the specialists in Battlefield 2042.
Fortunately, we're here to explain how to use the wingsuit in Battlefield 2042, so that you can gracefully glide through the air like you always wanted. We'll explain everything you need to know, including how to activate the wingsuit and whether you take fall damage when you land.
]]>Want to know the best specialist in Battlefield 2042? Battlefield 2042 no longer has a traditional class system. You can use any gun, gadget, and grenade in every loadout, giving you a lot more freedom when preparing for combat. However, these specialists all have unique gadgets and abilities which will drastically alter your playstyle. If you want to win a match and get plenty of kills, you'll need to pick the best specialist in Battlefield 2042. In this guide, we'll provide a full specialist tier list and break down each specialists strengths and weaknesses.
We've seen plenty of changes to specialists since launch, with various abilities and gadgets getting disabled while the team work on balance patches and bug fixes. If a specialist has been temporarily altered, you should see a message above the gamemode button on the Play tab in the main menu. With that in mind, we've changed this list frequently to ensure it is up to date for the most recent version of Battlefield 2042. There are more patches planned in the coming weeks, and we'll let you know if they make any changes to the specialists in Battlefield 2042.
]]>Want some Battlefield 2042 tips and tricks? Battlefield 2042 shakes up the formula substantially. While it may look similar to past Battlefield titles, dynamic weather, specialists, and the huge 128-player matches ensure that there is plenty to learn, even for Battlefield pros. Fortunately, we're here to help. These Battlefield 2042 tips and tricks will help you navigate the storm and rack up kills in Conquest, Breakthrough, and Hazard Zone.
You'll need to learn these tips and tricks to succeed in Battlefield 2042 at launch, but that isn't the end. There are multiple content drops planned over the coming year, with the first season scheduled to launch in early 2022. Check out everything you need to know about the Battle Pass to learn more and prepare for the upcoming season.
]]>I arrive at this episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang thoroughly shootered. Both big FPS releases of the month, Call Of Duty: Vanguard and Battlefield 2042, have been at my fingertips this week and I've got some thoughts. Of course, Imogen hits us with news too. Valorant has another new character coming out, Fortnite pulls Travis Scott, and Imogen gives us the lowdown on just how much she's enjoying Apex Legends' latest season.
]]>Though Battlefield 2042 doesn't officially launch until next Friday, it has launched today for people who pay extra. Folks who buy the Gold or Ultimate editions, or subscribe to EA Play Pro, can now hop on and start popping faces in Dice's new FPS. Everyone else, hey, be glad that other people are paying to test the game for you so it's in better shape later. Though reportedly voice chat won't even be in by the time it properly launch so sheesh.
]]>This Battlefield 2042 review-in-progress is an odd one. Namely because my hands-on time with the game has been dictated by EA, as opposed to actual real-life sit-downs with my own copy of the game. Still, I've largely enjoyed what I’ve played so far and am confident that Battlefield fans will too.
]]>Dice have detailed some of the options players will get to mess around with in Battlefield 2042's map customisation tool, Battlefield Portal, and there's just so much. It will present you with some of your fave maps from the likes of Bad Company 2 and the Battlefields of old, then let you tweak them as much as you please by adding various vehicles, rules and more. I'm personally hoping to see plenty of oldies with 2042's sweet new grappling hook thrown in. Every map could be improved by a grappling hook.
]]>Battlefield 2042 has a new trailer ahead of its November 19th release, and this one is aimed directly at us PC folk. While the action itself is more of the near-future mega-bangs you’ve probably seen in previous teasers (or, indeed, the open beta), it’s all in service of demonstrating the PC-exclusive features: chiefly ray tracing, Nvidia DLSS and Nvidia Reflex support.
]]>This time, I've returned from a trip to Devon having spent too much time ignoring my friends and playing Hollow Knight instead. But what about FPSes? Well, I didn't play any of those. Thankfully Imogen has all of us covered on this week's episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang, with a news segment rammed with lots of exciting announcements. Namely, Apex Legends gets a new Legend and map, Halo Infinite sees a new trailer, and Call Of Duty's new anti-cheat Ricochet leaks early.
]]>Battlefield 2042 has been and gone, and now its developers have written about what they learned based on player feedback. There are some straight fixes, some explanations, and lot more in a post on the Battlefield blog.
Also: a look at the five previously unrevealed specialists you'll be able to play as when the game launches.
]]>I've returned from my trip to the Lake District, with aching calves and a desire to talk about online shooters with Imogen. On this week's episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang, we don't chat sore muscles, instead, we focus on various Halloween events in games like Apex Legends and Rainbow Six: Siege, our thoughts on the Battlefield 2042 beta, Destiny 2 vaulting yet more stuff, and Call Of Duty: Vanguard finally introducing anti-cheat.
]]>Multiplayer FPS Battlefield 2042's Conquest and Breakthrough modes are largely about shooting bullets across vast distances on a vast map while trying to capture a vast number of objectives. They are vast, mate. But the newly revealed Hazard Zone mode? Nope, this is smaller, more survival-oriented, with a hint of Hunt: Showdown.
]]>You know, I was pretty disappointed that this weekend's Battlefield 2042 beta didn't have wingsuits. It's been one of the main things I'm looking forward to, leaping from buildings and gliding at unsuspecting foes, so it was sad that we didn't get to try it out. However, as I played, I realised that some players didn't seem to need wingsuits to get themselves off of the ground: they simply needed to die in a janky vehicle accident instead.
]]>Battlefield 2042's open beta went live this morning, giving folks a chance to jump into some futuristic 128-player wars before the game launches in full next month. While there was a brief pre-order early access beta period this week, it's free for everyone to try right now, and is open until Sunday morning. I'll admit, I've never been big on Battlefield, but my pals are pretty excited about this one, so I expect I'll see you in the trenches this weekend.
]]>I'm pleased to announce that Battlefield 2042 is indeed a Battlefield game. I went hands-on with the upcoming beta for a couple of hours earlier this week, and yes: there was a very big fight on a very big battlefield. At its core, Battlefield 2042 doesn't surprise at all. But on the surface it's a totally different story.
EA and Dice made a big deal of the game's weather and I was like, "Yeah, it rains all the time here too, heh", but you know what? The way these battlefields chop and change when storms roll in really do make a huge difference when you're there with your boots on the ground.
]]>Ahead of the multiplayer open beta test starting this week, you can now preload the Battlefield 2042 client to be ready as soon as war breaks out. The BF2042 open beta starts Friday, though pre-orderers and EA Play members will get early access from Wednesday. It's been three years since Battlefield was last in the near-future, so how do you fancy its return?
]]>This week's episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang is marked by competition. Imogen and I quiz each other on all things shooter trivia, and someone knows more than the other. Anyway, before that, there's plenty of news to catch up on. Call Of Duty: Vanguard has fixed a weird dognado glitch, time-loopy shooter Lemnis Gate is out, Halo: Infinite tech preview number two arrives very soon, and Overwatch 2 announces some reworks. Spoiler alert: Bastion now has a hat.
]]>Following the recent delay of Battlefield 2042's launch into November, Electronic Arts have now confirmed new timing for the open beta test of Dice's near-future shooter. It'll start on Friday the 8th of October and run until the morning of Sunday the 10th, inviting everyone to play Conquest mod on the map Orbital.
]]>Predictably, Imogen and I begin this week's episode of Ultimate Audio Bang by getting excited about Deathloop before realising that there's plenty of other newsy bits to cover. Listen to get our hot thoughts on the Call Of Duty: Vanguard reveal, Battlefield 2042's delay, the Overwatch League using an early build of Overwatch 2 in 2022, and plenty more shootery things.
]]>Battlefield 2042 has been delayed until November 19th. EA Dice's futuristic shooter was originally due to release on October 11th, but a day of rumours was concluded by official confirmation of the new release date by EA.
]]>EA have dropped new gameplay showing off five of Battlefield 2042's specialists doing things like pulling the trigger, laying down turrets, pulling the trigger, and healing friends with a needle gun. They look good, if very, very predictable.
]]>Remember when multiplayer games would relese with a dozen or so maps to play on, instead of just a couple? Sure, players would coalesce around just two or three maps anyway, but Battlefield 2042 has offered a handy reminder of the benefits of variety. After so many games, it has a dozen classic and beloved levels, and six of them are going to be playable in its new Portal mode.
Brendy explained Battlefield Portal in more detail after its announcement this evening during EA Play. I am here merely to celebrate that one of Portal's six maps is Bad Company 2's Valparaiso - aka, the best Battlefield map.
]]>Six classic maps are returning in Battlefield 2042 as part of a tool for making your own game modes. The maps include Caspian Border from Battlefield 3 and Arica Harbour from Bad Company 2. The mode-editing tool is called Battlefield Portal and it works in a web browser, letting players create shareable game modes on a selection of old and new maps. You could make a mode that allows only repair tools, for example, or pits teams from distinct eras of warfare against one another.
In other words, you might force a bunch of World War 2 Germans armed with knives to fight squads of US soldiers from Battlefield 3 armed with modern LMGs. The important thing is they can duke it out in a fancy new version of El Alamein from Battlefield 1942.
]]>Come one, come all! Join us in watching Electronic Arts' NotE3 stream, EA Play Live. Kicking off at 6pm BST (or 10am PT for you folks across the pond), EA will have announcements and footage for games like Battlefield 2042, Apex Legends, Lost In Random and potentially even Dead Space, if the rumours are true.
]]>Blink and you'll miss them, but at around the 1:46 mark in the Battlefield 2042 Breakaway reveal trailer you can spot a waddle of penguins hanging out while futuristic tanks blast past them. There are two things you can learn here: 1) someone at Dice animated some bird pals specifically to put into the game, and 2) a group of penguins is named a "waddle". Naturally, the internet fell for these flightless friends, and now Dice have released a blog post chatting to the developer who decided to put them in.
]]>On a biiiig update post by EA answering a lot of questions about Battlefield 2042, what caught my eye were the fine details about Ranger the robodog. The military mutt isn’t tied to any particular class or character, meaning anyone can drop one into battle at any time. There’s no word on if you can pet it, but it sounds like a feisty companion, capable of lots of tactical tricks.
]]>Now that we're over the E3 hump, Imogen and I thought we'd catch a break on this week's episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang. But no, the online shooters simply do not stop reloading. PUBG dropped a new map on its test servers, Warzone fixed its murder door, and Valorant's new agent sounds very overpowered.
]]>Pity the poor Battlefield 4 players of Boring, Oregon. Battlefield 2042's announcement caused an uptick in players in the US West server region, leading to long server queues for the eight-year-old FPS. The influx of players was large enough for EA to spin up more server capacity to help players get back to the game.
]]>On this episode of Ultimate Audio Bang, Imogen and I comb through the shrapnel left by the E3 explosion. There is lots! A charred Randy Pitchford, lots of games like Left 4 Dead, and shooters like Stalker 2, which we have no history with, but it sure look nice.
]]>I've been after a shooter that'll loosen my grip on Call Of Duty: Warzone and I think Battlefield 2042 might be it. Having watched the gameplay trailer at Microsoft and Bethesda's E3 showcase, it's large-scale shooty bang in areas exclusively ravaged by tornadoes and storms. Clear skies and an easy shot? Nah mate, not any longer. Have a tornado.
]]>It's called Battlefield 2042 and there are robot dogs. The next multiplayer shooter from noted mud artists Dice will be set in a near future where global civilisation is in decline. Food shortages, unrest and climate change has collapsed nations everywhere, leaving refugee soldiers fighting for an embattled US or a tired Russia.
Importantly, some of those soldiers have wingsuits. Others have recon drones, or sentry turrets. They always seem to fight in battles totalling no more than 128 players, and they don't mind having a barney in the path of a tornado. Dice revealed all this and more in a press show last week, during which they repeated several times that there won't be a battle royale mode. Look, here's all the details, plus a blustery trailer.
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