Battlefield 2042 is getting three major patches this year
Map tweaks, UI improvements, and an update on legacy features
Battlefield 2042 isn't in the best place right now. It's a game lacking many classic Battlefield features, and in amongst those empty spaces? Bugs. Lots of em. Dice know this and they've detailed three updates to address some of these issues, all of which are due out by the end of this year.
The first of these updates, dubbed Update #2, lands this Thursday, 25th November, and it will deliver a few nice tweaks. If one of your squaddies dies close to an object or wall, you should be able to get them up in a jiffy rather than, well, not get them up at all. Those darned hovercrafts have also seen their health toned down, so they hopefully won't parade around maps like indestructible death machines for much longer. Your days are numbered, pals.
But perhaps the most substantial fix in Update #2 comes in the form weapon spread reductions. Pull the trigger of many guns– mainly assault rifles – and chances are, most of your bullets will miss their target, especially at long distances, or if you're moving while shooting. After the patch, lining up those shots should be more rewarding in general.
Onto Update #3, which is due out in early December. Dice say this will be "their biggest update since launch" and I believe them. Take a look at the blog post and it's an exhaustive list of tweaks, which isn't even all that's planned for the patch. Out of these many additions, I like that downed players will see a list of nearby players who can revive you. Visual flickering and stuttering issues have plagued me too, so I'm glad those are being ironed out.
And let's not forget those classic Battlefield features like the end-of-match scoreboard, server browser, and voice chat which have gone missing in 2042. Dice say they're "carefully evaluating" our desire to see them return and will come back to us when they've got something to show.
I know Battlefield 2042's a three-part package, but the sheer breadth of this patch is on par with a Cyberpunk 2077 joint. It's one mega-scroll of improvements and tunings for everything from Conquest, to Portal, to Hazard Zone. Of the many things I'm happy to see, it's better level geometry, which should mean I won't get snagged or pulled under maps quite so often. Goodbye invisible hands, I will not miss you.
As for that third and final update, Dice haven't provided any details on it just yet. All we know is that they're looking to get it launched before the holidays, so presumably not long after Update #3, then.
I doubt I'll be playing much Battlefield 2042 until the last of these patches drops, but if these promised updates make things more stable, then maybe, just maybe, I'll come crawling back. That is, if I don't get pulled under the floor while doing so.