Battlefield 2042 won’t get its first season until summer

By Otto Kratky February 1, 2022

Following a rocky launch, Battlefield 2042‘s first season is set to release sometime this summer according to a blog post from developer DICE.

Today we’re sharing the latest #Battlefield 2042 details, our new player feedback loop, and a status update for Season One.

Learn full details: https://t.co/6y8368gebO pic.twitter.com/WrueRz2ICm

— Battlefield (@Battlefield) February 1, 2022

The game’s upcoming season, the first of four, will add a new map to the game, along with a new specialist and “more completely new content.” However, its release is coming later than anticipated for players, being pushed back due to the game’s numerous issues that have been or are currently being fixed.

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Among the work pushing back Battlefield 2042‘s first season have been numerous updates, each of which has addressed a different issue in the game. A small update coming early in March will revamp the game’s scoreboard, while others will add long-requested “legacy features” like in-game voice chat and player profiles.

Other upcoming updates for Battlefield 2042 will also include changes to the game’s gunplay, an “improved reward loop,” and an overall expansion of Battlefield Portal.

To make up for the late arrival of Battlefield 2042‘s first season, DICE is giving anyone who purchased the Gold or Ultimate version of the game a bundle of cosmetics. Skins for weapons, vehicles, and specialists, plus a new melee weapon are all included, but the offering is sure to leave fans wanting more.

While an adjusted scoreboard and in-game voice chat are being added, fans still feel ignored by DICE, especially coming off the game’s removal of Rush. Having been returned to the game as a limited-time event, the classic Battlefield game mode was removed even after players asked that it be permanently added.

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Otto Kratky is a freelance writer with many homes. You can find his work at Digital Trends, GameSpot, and Gamepur. If he's…

Gaming

Redfall won’t get its 60 fps Performance Mode until after launch

Players approach a vampire in Redfall that's floating outside a window.

Most games for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S let players choose between a Quality Mode that emphasizes resolution and a Performance Mode that ups the frame rate. While Redfall will eventually have both of those, it's only launching with one of them, and it's not the one you'd hope for from a fast-paced shooter.
Arkane Studios took to Redfall's official Twitter account to explain that the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S versions of the game will only have Quality Mode when the game comes out next month. The Xbox Series X version will run at 30 frames per second at a 4K resolution, while the Xbox Series S version shares that framerate at a lower 1440p resolution. Thankfully, the tweet does confirm that a 60 fps performance mode will come at a later date via an update.
https://twitter.com/playRedfall/status/1646158836103880708
This announcement is disappointing for console players who prefer higher framerates for their fast-paced action games. As Redfall is an intense open-world shooter with lots of combat with flashy effects, the game will potentially feel more sluggish than it should be to play at only 30 fps.
WB Games Montreal's Gotham Knights and Focus Interactive's A Plague Tale: Requiem got into similar hot water last year when they only supported 30 fps on consoles. While those games have not gotten 60 fps updates since their October 2022 launches, Redfall fans can take respite in the fact that the game will eventually get a Performance Mode patch post-launch. If only being able to play Redfall at 30 fps is that big of an issue for you, maybe put off playing it on Xbox Game Pass until that Performance Mode update releases.
Redfall will launch for PC, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S on May 2. The post-launch Performance Mode update does not have a specific launch date yet.

Gaming

Time is running out to play Battlefield 2042 for free

Crawford shoots enemies with a turret he place in Battlefield 2042.

If you want to try Battlefield 2042 for free on PC, your time is running out. You have just over a day to download and play it on Steam before it goes back to being a full-price release.
Battlefield 2042's free access period on Steam began on March 13, about two weeks after the start of Season 4: Eleventh Hour. If you go to its store page on Steam, you can download and play it for free until 12 p.m. ET on March 16. The game is also discounted on Steam during this time, so you can pick Battlefield 2042 up for $18 instead of $60.
If you don't want to buy the game directly but still want to continue playing after this free trial period, you have some options. Battlefield 2042 is included in multiple subscription services at the moment. It is one of March 2023's monthly PlayStation Plus titles for both PS4 and PS5 subscribers. Meanwhile, it's available as part of the EA Play game library, which Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S all have access to.
If you use the same EA account on those platforms, you'll be able to carry over all of your account progression and items and not lose any progress. As such, this free access period on Steam is a great time to check out Battlefield 2042 if you've been on the fence about picking it up.
Battlefield 2042 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Its free Steam demo ends on March 16.

Gaming

Battlefield 2042 Season 4 will introduce the game’s final Specialist

Battlefield 2042's final specialist rides a helicopter.

EA and DICE unveiled Battlefield 2042 Season 4: Eleventh Hour, and while this update will contain all of the new content you expect from a new season, they've confirmed that Season 4's Specialist will be the game's last.
Season 4: Eleventh Hour's new specialist is named Camila Blasco, a Spanish No-Pat that's part of the Recon class and great at avoiding and sneaking up on enemies with her X6-Inflitration Device. Up until now, a new Specialist has been a hallmark of each new Battlefield 2042 season, but after the recent class system rework the game saw, DICE now appears to be prioritizing updates for that over new specialists.
"Blasco will sit within the Recon class and be the last specialist we bring to the game," producer Alexia Christofi explained in a development update video Digital Trends viewed prior to this season's announcement. "There are now 14 in total, all bringing a variety of gameplay across the classes. Our focus is to continue to listen to your feedback and bring design and balance changes to our return to the class system as well as expanding on skins and cosmetics to give you more ways to stand out on the battlefield."

Although this is a big change for the game's seasons, know that EA has not announced any plans to shut down or stop updating Battlefield 2042, though. In addition to Christofi's comments, the video Digital Trends saw confirms that there will be a Season 5 with its own dedicated battle pass. Still, the announcement that a significant aspect of post-launch support is changing is always concerning for a live service game. This might just be a slight adjustment based on people liking the class system more than the Specialist system, but it still raises concerns about Battlefield 2042's support in the long term. In that way, I guess that makes the name Eleventh Hour somewhat fitting for this season.
In the meantime, players still can expect a lot from Battlefield 2042 Season 4: Eleventh Hour across all platforms. There's a new South African desert map called Flashpoint, new weapons such as the Super 500 sidearm Shotgun, RM68 Assault Rifle, AC9 SMG, and RPT-31 LMG, additional vault weapons like the SVD sniper rifle, and Type 88 LMG, the CAV Brawler vehicle, SPH explosive launcher gadget, and a new 100-tier battle pass.