Battlefield 2042 launches in October of this year and has become one of 2021's most anticipated releases. For Battlefield fans, Battlefield 2042 offers up the opportunity to experience huge battles set in a near-future science fiction setting, an experience unavailable in other products. That's why Battlefield 2042 will come with an up-front cost, despite a lack of a single-player and ranked modes. In EA's eyes, however, despite the up-front cost, Battlefield 2042 is entirely a live service game.
In Electronic Arts' quarterly earnings report, CEO Andrew Wilson told investors exactly how they should think about Battlefield 2042. Wilson tells shareholders "you should think of Battlefield as a service," indicating that Battlefield 2042 isn't just a one and done purchase, but rather a platform that's expected to continue bringing in revenue well after launch. That's a message that shareholders will obviously want to know, which explains why Wilson is mentioning despite Battlefield 2042's post-launch plans not being fully explained yet to the public.
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Wilson would go on to elaborate on the topic, explaining that Battlefield 2042's platform will serve as the "foundation" for the future of the Battlefield franchise. He says that the release of Battlefield 2042, as well as additional Battlefield games going forward, will help to establish what he describes as "365-day engagement" within this Battlefield platform. It's a familiar pitch regarding live service games and is likely exactly what EA shareholders wanted to hear.
A core facet for Battlefield 2042's live service plans is the game's newly announced mode named Battlefield Portal. Battlefield Portal will allow Battlefield 2042 players to create customer Battlefield game modes for other users to play. Further, it will offer assets for creators to use not just from Battlefield 2042, but also from past games in the Battlefield franchise including Battlefield 3, Battlefield Bad Company 2, and even the original Battlefield 1942, all upgraded for use on modern platforms.
As for EA's official plans for post-launch content in Battlefield 2042, an official announcement has yet to be made. However, an early leak claims that players should expect post-launch content that goes beyond just robust. Expect seasonal updates, so every 3-4 months, offering new standard maps, new Portal maps, a story-based Hazard Zone update, 6-8 weapons, 2-3 vehicles, a new specialist, and also a 100-tier seasonal tier system.
Suffice to say, there will be plenty of post-launch support for Battlefield 2042 between official seasonal updates and players' own Portal creations. Still, for a game that doesn't have a single-player campaign, a ranked mode, or a battle royale, there are some questions as to whether players will stay with Battlefield 2042 for the long run. That's up to the game itself to prove when it launches.
Battlefield 2042 releases October 22 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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Source: IGN