Home » Previews » Battlefield 2042 Season 1 adds paid Battle Pass with post-launch fixes
Previews

Battlefield 2042 Season 1 adds paid Battle Pass with post-launch fixes

It's a bold strategy, Cotton...

Battlefield 2042 developer DICE has again apologised for the state of the game at launch, while at the same time pitching a paid Battle Pass with the introduction of Season 1.

In a hands-off press event ahead of a reveal of Season 1 content, DICE first gave a recap that mirrored a blog post published late last month. If you’re out of the loop, everything from maps to player models to even player counts in modes is in the process of being revisited and reworked, largely due to fan (and press) feedback since Battlefield 2042 launched back in November of last year.

We were one of myriad outlets that weren’t impressed with the title when it was first released… and that’s putting it lightly.

“In a world where developers are getting used to working from home and games are being pushed back due to the pandemic, EA decided that Battlefield 2042 was ready for this year,” Luke wrote at the time. “It’s not. More time is needed to fix a lot of the problems, but even then that might not be enough to save it from being one of the most lacklustre Battlefield titles yet.”

That’s not to say that EA and DICE aren’t listening. Changes are being made; in fact, they’re at least part of the reason why Season 1 was delayed in the first place. The problem I had with this behind-closed-doors, virtual presentation was that these changes only made up a short portion of the overall presentation. For that matter, so too did information on new content that includes a single new map, one new Operator, and a handful of new vehicles and weapons. Truly, most of the presentation’s focus was on a Battle Pass coming to the game, one with a paid track full of extra cosmetics.

I don’t think I’ll be alone in finding it all, frankly, a hard pill to swallow.

I think EA and DICE already know that too, though seem content with a strategy of blissful ignorance. Rather than addressing my question about how they expect fans will react when being asked to spend more money on a game that’s still being fixed  — and I accidentally submitted the question twice, which technically makes it doubly as awkward — the press-only livestream ignored it for some super-fluffy softball questions instead. While they’ve every right to ignore the question pre-launch, that doesn’t mean it will go unasked.

It’s not a crazy amount of money that EA and DICE are asking for — the paid Battle Pass is priced at 1,000 BFC (or $10 USD) and I again stress that it comes with cosmetics only — but that’s coupled with what could be considered sparse new content proper. I’d rather enjoy more than one new map over 100 levels of yet another in-game Battle Pass.

At any rate, Season 1 brings with it a new map called Exposure, which admittedly looks cool; Battlefield 2042‘s first vertical map, it’ll encourage some leaps of faith (and a trusty parachute or wingsuit) or a reliance on the game’s new attack helicopters. It’s also a map based in Canada, so extra bonus points there.

Season 1 also brings a new Operator called Ewelina Lis, a former Polish Special Forces member who specialises in the prioritisation (and elimination) of enemy vehicles, something DICE said was partially in response to the discovery that a sniper rifle was more powerful than Battlefield 2042‘s only launch anti-tank weapon and, happily enough, partly a coincidence.

“We’ve been working on Evelina for a while now,” DICE’s Ryan McArthur told Stevivor.

“Initially the idea was just to introduce that sort of role into the specialist arsenal that we didn’t have at the beginning of launch,” he continued. “What the team has done is taken a bunch of that feedback from post-launch and what we’re seeing players do. She’s been tuned in battles to help counteract that.”

Players can expect two new helicopter gunships, a new crossbow and a marksman rifle in addition to the new smoke grenade launcher gadget. All gameplay-related items are available for free, though must be unlocked through progression of the Battle Pass itself. It’s unclear as yet if there are real-world paid options to advance through the Battle Pass itself.

In terms of Battle Pass progression, it’s a relatively standard and straightforward affair; players will progress through tiers via gameplay and the completion of timed challenges.

I’m not saying this new season isn’t a positive turn for the beleagured game; I’d prefer it if it did well, in fact. Nor am I intending any malice toward the developers at DICE, hardworking individuals who are certainly facing a continued upward climb. The real kicker here though is that DICE isn’t sure yet if the changes its making or planning will actually turn things around.

“I know we’re just talking about the new content is coming in the game,” said DICE’s Nika Bender as part of the presentation, “but alongside the new content we’re also releasing a lot of quality of life improvements; a lot of bug fixes. All of it is coming to pass and I’m pretty sure that the player experience after this patch will be different.”

If DICE isn’t completely sure, then I’m not prepared to support a tactic where players are being asked to shell out even more of their hard-earned while the state of Battlefield 2042 is still in question. You can take a look at the gameplay videos above and decide if you’re of a different mind.

Battlefield 2042 is currently available on Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PS4 and PS5; we reviewed it here. Season 1 launches on 9 June.

Battlefield 2042

19 November 2021
PC PS4 PS5 Xbox One Xbox Series S & X
 

This article may contain affiliate links, meaning we could earn a small commission if you click-through and make a purchase. Stevivor is an independent outlet and our journalism is in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative.

About the author

Steve Wright

Steve's the owner of this very site and an active games journalist nearing twenty (TWENTY!?!) years. He's a Canadian-Australian gay gaming geek, ice hockey player and fan. Husband to Matt and cat dad to Wally and Quinn.