It has been more than a month since Battlefield 2042 was officially revealed, and since then many questions were raised by fans surrounding the upcoming online-only iteration of the franchise.
With that in mind, publisher Electronic Arts provided us with a deep dive into some of the hottest topics, including a closer look at how they are building cross-play and cross-progression functionality for the game, as well as AI Soldiers and the delayed Technical Playtest.
While you can check the full in-depth briefing by clicking here (including an interview with Daniel Berlin, Senior Design Director for Battlefield 2042), we highlighted some of the most noteworthy topics mentioned in said piece, which you can check out below!
Cross-play and cross-progression
Let’s start with the big news: Battlefield 2042 will feature full cross-progression and cross-commerce, which will be shared across all platforms in which the game is available. As an example, your unlocked progress and purchases in your Xbox copy of the game will carry over onto the PC or PlayStation version, and vice versa.
As far as cross-play goes, EA confirmed that it is something they are looking to test and build for the game — which was the exact reason the Technical Playtest was moved to later this summer. During said playtest a subset of cross-play functionality will be tested.
At the moment, EA’s goal for cross-play is the following:
- PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 consoles (PC and console can opt-out from playing together)
- Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles
AI Soldiers and Solo Mode
According to EA, AI Soldiers are intended to play the game like how you would play it yourself — however, they are not designed to be Specialists and cannot use Traits and Specialties. They will be used in three different game modes:
- Multiplayer – AI soldiers are used for server-filling capabilities, making it easier for you to matchmake when you want to play. Players always have priority over AI when playing multiplayer.
- Co-Op – Allows you to play together with friends, against AI soldiers.
- Solo – If you wish to perfect your skills for multiplayer, you can even play alone against AI soldiers.
You cannot opt-out of playing with them since they are used to backfill servers. For example: if there are 120 players out of 128 currently playing in a server, 8 AI Soldiers will join the match to help even out the teams. Should a player leave, another AI Soldier will temporarily replace them until a new player joins the game.
EA also reiterated that Battlefield 2042 is a multiplayer-only experience. So while you can play Solo against AI Soldiers, it will be in an online setting.
Differences between last-gen and new-gen versions
It was confirmed that Xbox One players will have access to the same gameplay features that were announced for Xbox Series X|S. Weapons, Vehicles, Specialists and Gadgets all remain the same no matter what generation of console you are playing on. Dynamic Weather events such as tornadoes, or Environmental Hazards like EMP storms will also be experienced by all players.
The main difference between console generations lies solely on adjustments made to the playable area on the maps “to ensure a fluid play experience”. Summarizing, Xbox One users will see themselves in 64-players maps, while Series X|S users will see themselves in 128-players maps.
Maps available at launch and live services
At reveal EA confirmed that Battlefield 2042 will have 7 maps: Orbital (Kourou, French Guiana), Hourglass (Doha, Qatar), Kaleidoscope (Songdo, South Korea), Manifest (Brani Island, Singapore), Discarded (Alang, India), Breakaway (Queen Maud Land, Antarctica) and Renewal (Eastern Desert, Egypt).
It was also confirmed that new maps would be added through the game’s live service, but apparently EA still have some cards up their sleeves since more details about Battlefield 2042’s maps are promised for EA Play Live on July 22!
Battlefield 2042 is set to be released on October 22, but buyers of the Gold and Ultimate Editions will be able to play the game a week earlier, on October 15. You can pre-order the game through the Microsoft Store by clicking here.
