The gaming industry is no stranger to disappointment. As the gaming sphere continues to grow, more expectations are placed on upcoming games, and while that can mean that a good game now receives the praise it rightly deserves, that also means that any video game that doesn't quite hit the mark is often criticized heavily. Battlefield 2042 is one of the most recent examples of this, being released in an unfinished state and disappointing both long-term fans and newcomers alike. But Battlefield 2042's recently released second Season may have begun to turn things around.
When it released back in November 2021, Battlefield 2042 was decimated by many who played it. A lack of maps, weapons, and an overly ambitious approach to the game's scale spelled instant doom for Battlefield 2042, a title that was deliberately hearkening back to the glory days of the franchise in an attempt to bring the series back to form. For a while there, it seemed as though EA had given up on Battlefield 2042, releasing just a handful of disappointing updates. But just a few weeks ago, Battlefield 2042 received its Season 2 update, which added a slew of new content and marked a big step forward for the game.
Battlefield 2042's Second Season is a Step Forward
Though many consider the damage to already have been done, that hasn't stopped EA and Dice from trying to breathe life back into Battlefield 2042. The most recent Season of Battlefield 2042, called Master of Arms, released at the end of August and starts to make things right, bringing a whole host of new, significant changes and additions to the game.
The first big addition to come to Battlefield 2042 via the Season 2 update was the new map. Titled Stranded, this new map saw players battle it out in Panama, where a drought has caused the nearby lake to dry up, beaching a cargo ship. While the area surrounding the ship is quite open, imitating the rest of Battlefield 2042's maps, the central point of the map, the ship itself, is designed with close-quarters combat in mind. Since the game came out, fans have been desperate for more close-quarters maps, and the introduction of Stranded shows that Dice is listening.
Season 2 also brought an updated version of the Renewal map to the game. In Battlefield 2042's Season 1 update, the map Kaleidoscope was given a pretty sizable overhaul; new areas were added, capture points were re-positioned, and more cover was added to try and discourage entire teams from going all-in on snipers. Renewal received a similar overhaul in Season 2, with its E capture point being removed entirely, more cover being added to the solar panel area of the map, and the surrounding terrain being altered in order to break cross-map sight-lines. Again, these are all changes that fans have been asking for since day-one.
Along with some new vehicles, new weapons, and a slew of new cosmetics, Battlefield 2042 Season 2 also added a brand new Specialist to the game. Called Charlie Crawford, this new specialist belongs to the newly defined Support class, and can create a stationary Vulcan minigun turret anywhere on the map. Crawford's passive ability allows him to resupply teammates when he revives them. All of these changes and additions show that Dice is still focused on making Battlefield 2042 a good entry in the franchise, and it paves the way for future updates to continue delivering what fans truly want. Fans don't want seasonal skins or other half-baked cosmetics designed solely to grab their money; they want significant changes and updates that add to the game in meaningful ways, just as Season 2 did.
Battlefield 2042 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.