EA developer DICE recently detailed the Battlefield 2042 beta changes, which come as a result of player feedback, being implemented for the final game. Some criticized the Battlefield 2042 beta for lacking polish, missing key features like a map button, and generally feeling messy.
Many Battlefield 2042 beta players saw the UI as a significant step back for the series, failing to deliver the satisfaction previously felt when racking up kills or capturing objectives. Thankfully, alongside the reveal of the five remaining Battlefield 2042 Specialists, DICE said it is addressing much of this. With every launch Specialist, map, and mode confirmed, DICE seems to have laid out everything that will be in the final version, including fixes for these issues.
An EA blog post confirmed Battlefield 2042 will launch without many of the problems of the beta, from simple bugs to major critiques of how the game played. Given DICE said the Battlefield 2042 beta build was already old at the time it was playable, it’s likely the developer was already aware of some of the problems months ago and had been hashing them out since.
Battlefield 2042’s UI Is Being Overhauled After The Beta
Kill Feed & Notifications
In Battlefield 2042’s beta, the user interface not only completely broke down at times but also lacked some of the flair of past games’ UIs. The series typically feeds players satisfying notifications for dealing damage, capturing objectives, and more, with points rapidly increasing in the center of the screen. The Battlefield 2042 beta didn’t have any of that – instead, XP and notifications for things other than kills were tucked away in the corner of the screen.
According to DICE, these issues will be fixed by the November launch. Some of the UI functions were entirely disabled in the beta, as there were bugs that couldn’t be resolved before it was released to the public, but DICE believes these will be ironed out in time for release. Kill logs have been improved to be more readable, with colored fonts to differentiate who killed who; there’s more pizzazz when a player kills an enemy; and scored points notifications have been moved out of the corner.
Communication Wheel & Ranger Commands
Some players have also noted Battlefield 2042 was missing features from previous games, including an in-match communication wheel. Coordination is key in Battlefield, and the full game will let players communicate with their teammates via a screen that allows them to give orders, request assistance or supplies, and even command or self-destruct the Ranger robot. In the beta, the Ranger would only run alongside the player and shoot at random things, so it should be more effective when it can be told where to go and who to shoot.
Map & Compass Access
When the game launches, players will be able to open a map screen mid-match, allowing for better planning and coordination across Battlefield 2042‘s massive maps. A compass will also be on screen at all times by default, which should help with callouts between team members.
Team Identification
Unlike shooters that split teams up into factions with different uniforms, Battlefield 2042 has every player as part of the same faction: the No-Pats. As a result, each Specialist looks the same as other copies of it, regardless of team, making it hard to tell friend from foe. One of the biggest problems in Battlefield 2042’s beta was identifying players, but DICE is adjusting lighting effects and adding icons above enemies to help them stand out in the chaos. Similarly, friendly icons will appear within 40 meters of the player, even when obscured, giving them a heads-up on who is an ally before entering a hot zone.
Battlefield 2042 Will Have Traditional Loadouts & End-Of-Match Scoring
Custom Loadouts
Preparation is key in just about any online FPS, and Battlefield is no exception. However, while many of the biggest shooters of the last decade have included customizable loadouts, Battlefield 2042‘s beta did not. Players could customize their weapons mid-game, but the beta didn’t allow the selection of attachments before deploying.
Battlefield 2042’s full release will now have a traditional customization screen outside of battle. The option to change attachments during combat using the “plus menu” system will still be there, but players can also set up their classes beforehand with the weapon builds they prefer. Similarly, the plus system has been improved to accurately communicate what each attachment does and exactly how it affects the performance of the weapon, and the attachments slotted into the plus menu can be swapped out, giving players wiggle room to effectively handle any scenario thrown at them.
End-Of-Match Scoring
Though EA is actively encouraging players to not “be a jerk” in Battlefield 2042, a new screen at the end of each round will encourage competition, telling teammates how they did compared to each other and how they performed as a unit against the other squads in the lobby.
Crossplay & Controler Mapping Will Be Improved After Battlefield 2042’s Beta
Crossplay
Battlefield 2042 will be the first game in the series with crossplay. Current-gen and PC players will be able to play with each other, while last-gen players will be in their own pool, due to the generations’ different maximum player counts and map sizes. Crossplay parties were disabled in Battlefield 2042‘s beta, like other key features that will be in the full game. Similar to games like Call of Duty, players will use an EA ID to add and invite teammates from other platforms into their party.
Controller Mapping
Across all of these systems, players will be able to select from a variety of different control presets or entirely remap the controls on their own. This is common for games that use keyboard and mouse controls, but Battlefield 2042 will allow it for controllers/gamepads as well.
General Improvements To Battlefield 2042 After The Beta
Elevator Door Glitch
One of the most prominent glitches in Battlefield 2042‘s buggy beta involved its elevators: The doors would always appear closed. This made it unclear if the elevator was available to use, and it was difficult to defend from enemy players exiting an elevator by surprise. The full game will fix this problem.
Bunny Hopping
Some Battlefield 2042 beta players found enemy combatants too frequently bunny-hopped around the map – a strategy shooter players often employ when trying to avoid enemy fire. DICE said it has “toned down” jump spamming for the final game.
Bot-Filled Matches
DICE also discovered players were being put into matches filled with Battlefield 2042‘s bots. These are meant to help new players learn the ropes or briefly fill spots before additional human players join, but a matchmaking issue was causing them to keep other players from entering, which has since been addressed.
Other Fixes
There were other small problems in the beta that, when combined, amounted to big headaches for players. DICE has fixed many of these, including:
- Adding indicators to notify players when grenades are nearby.
- Shortening (or outright removing) vehicle exit and entry animations.
- Doubling the number of tanks on Orbital for current-gen consoles and PC.
Will Battlefield 2042’s Post-Beta Changes Be Enough?
Battlefield 2042 was already delayed once, and as EA’s only major holiday release, it’s unlikely the company would be willing to push it out of this financial quarter. DICE doesn’t seem to have any extra development time left, putting it under pressure to ensure 2042 doesn’t repeat BFV’s mistakes. It’s at least a good sign that, judging from the Battlefield 2042 beta changes, the developer seems to be listening to its community and trying to refine the game to the best of its ability.
Unfortunately, DICE has a history of rocky game launches, and there are some issues that can’t be addressed in a matter of weeks. Some players have criticized Battlefield 2042 for being too big. There’s lots of dead space between objectives on 2042‘s beta map, Orbital, and the game is expected to have even larger maps. No game is perfect, though, and Battlefield 2042 appears to be in a far better place than it was at the start of October. Whether or not it can hold its own against Halo Infinite and Call of Duty: Vanguard remains to be seen.
Battlefield 2042 releases on November 19, 2021, for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC.
