summary
- Stealth helicopters, a mountainous map and a new vehicle destroyer specialist are included Battlefield 2042‘s first season.
- New weapons such as the Ghostmaker R10 Crossbow and the BSV-M Marksman Rifle are introduced.
- Battlefield 2042 – Season 1: Zero Hour launches on Thursday 9th June and will be available to all players with a mix of free and premium content that can be unlocked at 100 levels.
It’s been a minute since I last dipped my toes into the world of Battlefield 2042. At launch, Team Xbox Wire had a blast with the unique Hazard Zone game mode and later got the chance to speak to the composers behind its powerful soundtrack. It’s been a handful of multiplayer sessions since then, as time allowed (dad of two over here). With the first details of Season 1: Zero Hour pouring in today, I can feel the pulse of excitement racing again, eager to revisit the frenetic and fantastical world of Battlefield 2042.
What’s new? A lot of! There has been a steady stream of improvements to the game since launch, from matchmaking to stability and other community-requested features, but the teams at DICE and Ripple Effect Studios knew they really wanted to listen to a lot of player feedback. Season 1: Zero Hour begins this next phase, with many major changes to the game that they hope will deliver on the promise they believe in Battlefield 2042 may be.
For starters, certain maps will receive significant overhauls to improve traversal, cover, and combat flow. The first will be Kaleidoscope, coming out in August. In a short gameplay demo reel we saw today, many of these features include more cover options to break line of sight and other assets to enhance environmental destruction events. There will also be a forward base of operations near the park and a second command post near the tower.
Later this year, in Season 2, Renewal will also get a major overhaul. Two sectors, A and E, are removed to bring more focus to the center of the map. The existing security checkpoint will now be connected to the Synesco buildings, bringing with it more cover, and the solar division will also be reworked to have more cover to make the area feel more “solid”.
The most dramatic change will be the size of these battles. The team will move away from the 128-player game modes, choosing to improve the current maps and develop future maps for 64 players. The 128-player game modes will still be available on the original starting maps, but not on future maps starting with Season 2. Other features, such as and improved performance round out some of the elements on the game’s immediate roap map throughout the year.
All of that hard work will show up starting this Thursday, June 9th with the launch of Season 1: Zero Hour. This season introduces the new map “Exposure”, which features a lot of vertical terrain with the Canadian Rocky Mountains as a backdrop and aims to offer a mix of frantic ground-to-air combat and close-ranged combat.
This leads to the new specialists for Battlefield 2042: Evelina Lis. She is a vehicle destroyer specialist and joins the No-Pats. Her rocket launcher can fire player-controlled projectiles, while her Armor Hunter trait provides vital battlefield information about damaged vehicles.
Speaking of which, two new stealth helicopters are joining the party: the RAH-68 Huron and the YG-99 Hannibal Gunship. Each is equipped with radar deflection abilities that make them invisible to scopes, as well as a variety of other defensive abilities. There will also be the Ghostmaker R10 Crossbow for players looking to add a stealth element to their ground game.
Finally, we can dive into the first Battle Pass Battlefield 2042, with access to a variety of weapons, vehicles, and cosmetic items. There’s a premium tier you can buy for $10 that unlocks skins, weapon charms, takedowns, and more. All game-related items can be unlocked for free as you progress through the Battle Pass.
Everything I’ve seen so far points to a brighter future Battlefield 2042 It all begins with the launch of Season 1: Zero Hour on Thursday, June 9th. See the Battle Pass for more details [LINK] here on the official Battlefield website [LINK] and we’ll have more news to share later this year when it comes to Season 2 Battlefield 2042 here on Xbox Wire.
if you are one Xbox Game Pass Ultimate member and start playing today, EA Play is part of your membership with access to a massive library of EA games and members-only rewards. This includes a 10-hour trial of Battlefield 2042. Best of all, any progress made during the trial will carry over to the full game in case you later purchase it from the Xbox Store. As a member you can also save 10% Battlefield 2042 Xbox Store purchases.
