Battlefield 5 was a decent shooter, but there was something missing from its multiplayer that didn’t quite hit like Battlefield 3 and 4 did. To make matters worse, it didn’t have many redeeming qualities beyond that. The single-player campaign was fine, and its battle royale mode, Firestorm, released too late and wasn’t great.
Dice is learning from its mistakes with Battlefield 2042 and is putting all its focus where it matters: on the core multiplayer modes. That means there’s no single-player campaign at all this time around. Instead, Dice is focusing on an evolving story that takes place over live-game patches and in-game teases, Fortnite-style.
You play as a non-patriated soldier - a soldier from nowhere. The year is 2042 and the economy has collapsed, ocean levels have changed, and the world is on the brink of catastrophe. The US and Russia have decided this is a perfect time to kick off a world war, so you’re choosing a side and fighting in that war to find a future for the no-pats.
There will be three main modes: All Out War, which features Conquest and Breakthrough, two classic Battlefield game types; there’s Hazard Zone, which is a mysterious new, squad-based game type; and there’s an as-yet-unannounced mode being created by Dice LA. The latter is being built to satisfy long-time Battlefield fans.
According to the developer, there are no plans for a battle royale mode this time around. While the game clearly takes lessons from the genre with its evolving story and Battle Pass system, it seems like Dice is sticking to what it does well: full-scale warfare across land, air, and sea.
You can check our preview to find out everything we know so far about Battlefield 2042.