A fresh Battlefield 2042 gameplay trailer has just been released. This almost three-minute-long look at the game focuses on showcasing the five remaining Specialists who will be available at launch. It’s one of our longest looks yet at the game in action, but it’s already proving fairly controversial.
If you’re out of the loop, Specialists will be replacing the traditional class system in Battlefield 2042. These named characters each have unique abilities and gear, but all choose from the same pool of weapons. They function similar to Heroes in Overwatch or Legends in Apex Legends. No longer will you select a customizable Medic or Assault class, now you’ll opt to play as a fixed Specialist such as Boris or Dozer at the start of a match.
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This change has proved to be fairly divisive among longtime Battlefield players. Some hardcore fans have argued that Specialists will have a negative impact on teamwork as they encourage people to play as a lone wolf instead of working together to complete objectives. However, this new trailer aims to win fans over by shining a spotlight on the five Specialists who complete the game's final roster of 10.
The new Specialists showcased include Sundance, who is the only Specialist with access to a wingsuit, and Ji-Soo Paik, who automatically highlights enemies that have dealt her damage. Both sound extremely useful.
Angel’s ability to drop in a supply crate that allows himself and his squadmates to swap load-outs on the fly seems pretty trivial. Expect some Specialists to be favored more than others.
Earlier this month a Battlefield 2042 open beta was held, giving players their first taste of warfare in 2042. This resulted in a not insignificant backlash as the Specialist system proved unpopular with some players. However, developer Dice has doubled down on its approach in a new official blog post.
Titled “What we learned from the open beta”, the post makes it crystal clear that Specialists are here to stay. “We see Specialists as the next evolution of the classic Battlefield class system that will not only enable individual players to have a bigger impact, it will elevate teams that cooperate to newer heights,” it reads.
Unfortunately, it looks like Battlefield fans who are hoping to see a return of the traditional class system might have to accept that Specialists are the future of the franchise, at least for now. Perhaps the included Battlefield Portal mode, which mixes together content from previous games in the franchise, will allow you to play as the familiar Recon, Assault, Medic or Support classes.
Battlefield 2042 is currently set to release on November 19, but you can get early access from November 12 if you buy the deluxe edition. The game will launch on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. A striped-down version will come to last-gen consoles as well.
