The upcoming shooter Battlefield 2042 will feature a range of maps where the troops of the USA and Russia will battle each other. You can learn about the maps available at the release of Battlefield 2042 and the special features to look forward to here on MeinMMO.
What is special about the maps? As is usual for Battlefield, a massive number of soldiers will fight for dominance on large, expansive maps. You can also equip yourself with all sorts of heavy war equipment, including drones, tanks, and aircraft.
Additionally, the maps in Battlefield 2042 often have special features like sandstorms, tornadoes, and destructible environments, which should make the battles even more dynamic and exciting.
How many players can be on a map? Depending on the mode, up to 128 players can play on a map at the same time. In Hazard Zone, however, up to 32 players are possible, as there will also be plenty of NPC enemies.
Exempt from this are the old consoles PS4 and Xbox One. They are technically weaker and support a maximum of up to 64 players in All-Out Warfare and Portal, while in Hazard Zone a maximum of 24 players is possible.
These maps and their features we already know
In the following paragraphs, you will see the seven new locations where Russian and American troops will battle. They are playable in all three major areas of Battlefield 2042: Portal, All-Out Warfare, and Hazard Zone.
Hourglass
Where does the map take place? The Qatari city of Doha has been swallowed by the sand due to reinforced desertification. In this context, the conflict takes place over a convoy. Hourglass was prominently featured in the first gameplay trailer. Visually and in content, the map evokes strong memories of Spec Ops: The Line.
How does the map play? As with other maps, a – literally – devastation occurs during the game. This will significantly change the gameplay. Where initially the clear sky and gigantic skyscrapers will give snipers and attack helicopters huge advantages, a slowly approaching sandstorm will darken the map, obscure vision, blow away helicopters, and force players into close combat.
The specialist with the wingsuit seems able to use the actually destructive sand tornado for her own unique gameplay opportunities in the trailer.
Discarded
What is the battlefield? In this map located in India, players will fight at a beach in and around equally massive yet decayed ships. Although not much is known yet about Discarded, the large freighter seems to be the centerpiece.
Meanwhile, deadly storms threaten and could completely overturn the course of battle. It’s conceivable that the defense of the wreck by one team will demand the best shotgun skills, while the other pushes through the wide and open beach in tanks.
Manifest
What makes this map special? What at first glance seems like another map focused on ships reveals some important differences upon closer inspection. This massive harbor in Singapore is bisected by a river that needs to be controlled. The Battlefield website (via ea.com) mentions labyrinthine cargo containers and tropical tornadoes as other defining elements of this map.
How does the map play? This description strongly recalls the fourth campaign mission from Battlefield 4, which also took place in a stormy Singapore. There, players initially had to enter the city with boats to then fight intensively in narrow corridors.
Kaleidoscope
What is the context? Nowadays, Songdo is known as South Korea’s most technologically advanced city, thus also referred to as a “smart city.” Unsurprisingly, the map set in Songdo in Battlefield 2042 has a multi-level data center as its central element. Furthermore, the player will find an open park in the center of the metropolis, surrounded by striking skyscrapers connected by zip lines.
How large is the map? Kaleidoscope is the smallest map at release and is roughly comparable in size to Rotterdam from Battlefield V. Accordingly, battles for control of the buildings will be all the more intense, especially with 128 players. The huge whirlwind seen in some pictures will surely provide little cooling.
Breakaway
What can I expect? While Kaleidoscope is the smallest map, Breakaway is the largest. Set in Antarctica, it not only features penguins, which have become so popular among fans that DICE has commented on them, but also a large oil refinery. (via ea.com)
This can naturally be destroyed in various ways, which will affect the map, such as persistent debris fields and ongoing fires.
Who is the map suitable for? While certain parts of the map are very suitable for players who prefer close combat, the massive size of the map is also a dream for all hardcore snipers: Breakaway is around 5.9 square kilometers large according to DICE – making it even slightly larger than the battle royale map from the Firestorm mode of Battlefield V. For comparison: Verdansk from Call of Duty: Warzone measures about 9 square kilometers.
Renewal
What makes this map special? Visually, perhaps the most impressive map at release is Renewal. A huge wall dramatically separates the Egyptian desert into two halves: a sandy half dominated by a massive complex of solar panels, and a comparatively paradisiacal half full of green meadows and opulent buildings.
The buildings on the green half offer significantly better strategic positions than the solar panels of the sandy half. The team that controls the wall will therefore also have the most influence on the game’s pace.
Orbital
What do we know about this map? Orbital was playable in the beta. This map, located in French Guiana, is defined not only by its sheer size but also by two gimmicks: a space rocket that can be launched, and an increasingly powerful storm that can even become a tornado.
Both of these elements can come into explosive contact; the rocket can also be targeted and destroyed by players. Gameplay-wise, DICE has taken strong inspiration from the Battlefield 3 map “Caspian Border,” which was so beloved by players that it was re-released in Battlefield 4.
What does Orbital tell us about the other maps? This map is likely a good benchmark for what one can generally expect from Battlefield 2042: large, expansive maps with tall buildings for snipers and narrow corridors for those who prefer shotguns and submachine guns.
Additionally, a decent amount of destructible objects, plus a dynamic weather system – that seems to be a blueprint for the map design of Battlefield 2042. Whether that is really the case will be shown at the latest on November 19, when the game is finally released.
What else is to come? EA promises that, along with new specialists, there will be a new map for each season, so four new maps each year. Additionally, players will have access to six classic maps from past games through Battlefield Portal, such as the aforementioned Caspian Border, Valparaiso from Battlefield: Bad Company 2, or El Alamein from Battlefield 1942.
A complete list of these maps, as well as a summary of the additional features of Battlefield Portal, is provided by MeinMMO in a practical overview.
