A video update from the Battlefield 2042 development team reveals that players will have a chance to try out DICE’s online shooter as part of a free weekend across all platforms in December. The announcement of the free weekend comes just days after EA dropped the news that Battlefield 2042 is coming to Xbox Game Pass and EA Play as part of the upcoming Season 3: Escalation.
Battlefield 2042 is the latest entry in developer DICE’s long-running Battlefield series which began with 2002’s PC classic, Battlefield 1942. Eschewing recent Battlefield titles’ inclusion of a single-player campaign mode, Battlefield 2042 marked an attempt by publisher EA to return to the franchise’s multiplayer roots. Met with a flurry of criticism from virtually the instant it was announced, an issue not helped by a launch plagued with serious bugs, Battlefield 2042 has faced an uphill battle in its attempt to dethrone genre heavyweights like Activision’s Call of Duty series.
In a new video released by the Battlefield 2042 development team discussing updates to the game in advance of the launch of Season 3: Escalation, DICE has announced that players across all platforms will be able to try the game for free in December as part of a series of free weekends. For Xbox and PC players the free weekends will be December 1-4 and December 1-5, respectively, with PlayStation users getting the chance to dive in from December 16-23. The free weekends are an attempt at luring new players to the critically underpopulated online shooter, with 2016’s Battlefield 1 even attracting more players than Battlefield 2042 on one recent weekend.
While subscribers to Xbox Game Pass or EA Play can already enjoy a free, 10-hour demo of Battlefield 2042 as part of their membership, adding a free weekend across platforms could draw in players who have been on the fence about the game. EA and DICE have been working furiously to address player complaints about Battlefield 2042, and the update video highlights the many changes that have been made to many elements of the game since its 2021 release. Bug fixes and new content are certainly a good thing, but it may take more than new maps and persistent servers to get some gamers to overcome their skepticism about Battlefield 2042.
For gamers hesitant to pay full price for yet another military shooter, Battlefield 2042’s free weekend is a great chance to see if the game’s large-scale, vehicle-heavy combat is a good fit. Hidden behind some high-profile bugs and questionable gameplay decisions, Battlefield 2042 still has a lot to offer fans of multiplayer shooters. And for long-time fans of the franchise, DICE’s continued updates provide a glimmer of hope that Battlefield 2042 may one day live up to its predecessors.
Battlefield 2042 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.