Since Battlefield 2042 was officially unveiled, EA and DICE have been giving players more and more information about what they can expect to see when Battlefield 2042 drops. This includes the game not shipping with a single-player campaign for the first time in years to changes coming to the class system players are so familiar with inside Battlefield's multiplayer. The latter appears to have intrigued the player-base the most, and DICE has now gone into detail about what changes its bringing to the series.
DICE outlines its changes in the latest Battlefield Briefing on EA's official website. Front-and-center in this post are the new specialists players will be able to choose from when they jump into multiplayer. The specialists, which DICE said are "inspired by the traditional Battlefield classes," will be soldiers available to play as armed with a unique "specialty" and "trait" locked to those soldiers. An example of specialties is the wingsuit seen in Battlefield 2042's debut trailer, acting as specialized gear unique to the specialist.
As for traits, DICE points to one of the first four of Battlefield 2042's specialists unveiled in the post. Specialist Falck's trait is the combat surgeon, giving anyone playing as her the ability to revive allies faster and at full health. Other specialists will have squad revives available, but it will be slower than Falck's trait and unable to revive squadmates at full health.
Another change will be introducing fully customizable weapon loadouts, a first for the series. Previously, loadouts were limited to weapons and gear related to the class players chose at the beginning of the match. In Battlefield 2042, players will be able to customize their primary weapon, secondary weapon, throwables, and equipment to fit the role they wish to play. However, DICE cautioned choosing certain gear or weapons will restrict choices in other slots, such as players who prefer using explosives or missiles being unable to equip health or ammo crates.
Other points DICE spoke about in regards to specialists were squad composition and identification. In regards to squad composition, four players will make up squads in matches and more than one specialist can be in a squad while playing Conquest or Breakthrough. As for identification, DICE confirmed the return of blue and green highlights for teammates and squad members, respectively, and is testing potential identifiers for enemy players.
The changes coming to Battlefield 2042 appear to be a way for DICE to modernize a system which has changed very little since 2002. Many other military-focused shooters, like Rainbow Six Siege and Call of Duty, have embraced similar systems, with the former still going strong nearly six years after its release, consistently adding new characters and building a prominent esports scene around the game. While Battlefield may not develop the esports scene Rainbow Six has, DICE has already committed to releasing more specialists after launch to supplement the initial group of 10. Whether or not hardcore fans of the series embrace these changes as openly is another question entirely that can only be answered with time.
Battlefield 2042 is scheduled to release on October 22 on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.
Source: EA