Battlefield 2042 Technical Playtest Pushed Back Into Summer


Following on from Battlefield 2042's reveal last month, EA's slowly given us new information for this anticipated shooter. Within a new blog post by Senior Design Director, Daniel Berlin, we've just received a closer look at several gameplay aspects, including specialists, maps, vehicles and cross-play.

That began with specialists, a new type of playable soldier for Battlefield 2042. So far, we've seen four of them - Boris, Casper, Falck and Mackay - and Berlin confirms we'll learn about the remaining 6 "later this year". Each of them come "equipped with their own unique Specialist Trait and Specialty". There are fully customisable load-outs that no longer restrict your weapon choices, but each Trait/Specialty is unique to a particular character.

Read More: Battlefield 2042: Release Date, Pre-Order, Special Editions, And More

Battlefield 2042 Offers Closer Look At Specialists, Maps, Vehicles, And More

Next, Berlin goes into maps, reconfirming that Xbox One/PS4 players can access the same gameplay features as Xbox Series X|S and PS5. Though he advises not all skyscraper levels are accessible - saying that "fighting on all levels of a skyscraper would be an entire map of its own" - players can engage in lobby and rooftop combat. Further map info is also promised during EA Play Live on July 22.

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Vehicles were also touched upon, as Berlin states they'll be "more easily available and more squad focused". Players can spawn directly into them from the Deploy screen, and you can now call in vehicles "when and where you need them". That's accessible no matter which specialist you've chosen, though call-ins are dependent on the map. Factions will have their own vehicles, and naval options are available too, though Berlin advises there's no specific naval focus currently.

Finally, there's news on Crossplay and Cross-Platform progression. Berlin advises that in order to test out this functionality, they've delayed the upcoming Technical Playtest until Summer 2021, advising that aims specifically at PC, Xbox Series X|S and PS5 cross-play, with an opt-out available for console/PC players. Though the Xbox One and PS4 aren't included here, those editions feature their own cross-play at launch, likely due to map differences.

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