Industry insider Tom Henderson claims Battlefield 2042‘s third mode may assume the form of Battlefield Hub – a massive sandbox boasting remastered maps and weapons from previous Battlefield entries. Upon announcing the latest installment, Electronic Arts and DICE shared details about two multiplayer modes but left one unspecified.
All-Out Warfare constitutes one of the known modes, which itself features two separate offerings. On one hand, players will jump into the classic Conquest mode that hosts 128 players on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Like its previous iterations, Conquest allows for sandbox gameplay, though DICE replaced the familiar control points with sectors housing several flags. Breakthrough represents the other All-Out Warfare experience, pitting Attackers and Defenders in large-scale battles that allow for tactical opportunities. Finally, the development team unveiled cursory information regarding Hazard Zone; this “tense” game mode boasts what EA describes as “the best of the Battlefield sandbox.” While the third mode remains a mystery that DICE will not unveil until EA Play Live on July 22, an insider claims to have the scoop on what fans can expect.
Reputable Battlefield insider Tom Henderson (via DualShockers) recently shared a video outlining Battlefield Hub, the mystery mode that DICE LA developers have reportedly been producing for over a year. However, Henderson told viewers to take the details with a grain of salt since his usual sources refused to comment on the leak, which he received through an anonymous email. EA will reportedly tout Battlefield Hub as the “ultimate sandbox experience,” one that acts as the “fun,” less competitive mode of the bunch. Because the mode will allow a Battlefield 1 tank to exist in the same space as a tank from Battlefield 3, Battlefield Hub won’t feel balanced, Henderson continued.
Remastered maps from older installments will run on the 2042 engine, the leaker claimed, adding that the movement system in 2042 will carry over to, say, a remastered Battlefield 3 map. And, apparently, the weapons and vehicles from the older maps will transfer over, as well. Furthermore, the new sandbox mode will include Specialist Classes as opposed to “traditional class systems” from previous Battlefield outings. The information relayed to Henderson also alleged that most maps support 64 players, though some maps, contingent on their size, should host 128 users on PC and current-gen hardware. Another intriguing claim hints that EA plans to allow users to download Battlefield Hub and Hazard Zone separately “to save on download size;” however, players must own a copy of 2042.
Again, regardless of how promising and legitimate this all sounds, fans would do well to take the above information with a pinch of salt. As of yet, not even Henderson is able to properly confirm that this particular leak holds merit. The wait to learn official details on the matter continues to draw to a close, though.
A cross-gen title launching this fall, Battlefield 2042 aims to drop players into DICE’s most ambitious project yet. The multiplayer-only offering lacks a story campaign, but it seems the resources usually devoted to such modes isn’t being wasted.
Battlefield 2042 lands on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S platforms this fall on October 22.
