Powered by cutting-edge technology that pushes the capabilities of next generation hardware, the game drops players into a near-future, all-out-war experience that includes the franchise’s hallmark, game-changing destruction.

Featuring matches filled with up to 128 players and massive-scale maps on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PCs (Xbox One and PS4 are capped at 64 players and reduced map sizes), this unprecedented scale adds a new dimension to multiplayer battles.

Battlefield 2042 also ups the action with the inclusion of real-time events that reshape the battlefield and tactical combat. All new weapons, vehicles and gadgets give players the freedom to be strategic and create jaw-dropping, only-in-Battlefield moments.

In Battlefield 2042, the world is on the brink. Shortages of food, energy and clean water have led to dozens of failed nations, creating the greatest refugee crisis in human history. Among these Non-Patriated, or No-Pats, are families, farmers, engineers - and even soldiers. Amidst this crisis, the United States and Russia draw the world into an all-out war. No-Pat Specialists join both sides, not fighting for a flag, but for the future of the Non-Patriated in this new world.

Players will jump into the boots of Specialists, an all-new type of playable soldier for the franchise. Inspired by the traditional four Battlefield classes, Specialists will be equipped with their own unique Specialist Trait and Specialty, and will have fully customizable loadouts. As a Specialist, players will have access to a cutting-edge arsenal of weapons, equipment and vehicles to use in battle. These powerful new tools give creative players a wealth of options as they find the perfect combination to fit their play style and outsmart and outgun opponents on the battlefield.

With Season 5 just around the corner for Battlefield 2042, we’re back today to talk about some additional Quality of Life (QoL) improvements that will be launching alongside the new Season. 

Dozer and Irish are the subjects of today’s discussion, as we feel they need some improvements to ensure they provide similar gameplay experience as others within their class. We’ve observed that both are underutilized Specialists within their respective classes, and we’re hoping these improvements will help towards rectifying that.

• Dozer was always meant to be played as the up-close and personal breacher, but we’ve noticed his gameplay can be improved to emphasize this further isn’t as satisfying to play as we would like. 
• For Irish we wanted to focus primarily on the APS-36 Shootdown Sentinel, not only its interceptive functionality but also the communicative and defensive capabilities of the gadget.

In addition, this Monday, the Battlefield 2042 team shared the newest podcast episode discussing Improving Irish & Dozer, the latest in their series of “Inside Battlefield” deep-dives. Host and DICE Community Manager Tom Straatman, is joined by Ali Kaporchali (Producer), Jac Carlsson (Game Designer) and Jaime de la Puente Boal (Game Designer) to discuss the Quality of Life changes coming to Dozer and Irish during Season 5. Check it out on Spotify, Google or Apple Podcasts.

Now let’s take a look at the Dozer and Irish’s APS-36 Shootdown Sentinel changes that are part of Season 5.

Dozer Areas of Improvement

Zip & Smash

One area that we’d like to immediately touch upon is the mobility that Dozer has when using his SOB-8 Ballistic Shield. We’ve heard that you feel this is often a hindrance compared to the sense of maneuverability that other Specialists have available to them.

We will be enhancing Dozer’s movement when using the SOB-8 Ballistic Shield. When equipped, you will now be able to strafe, rotate and pitch with your Ballistic Shield more quickly than previously. 

We’ve also improved some animations such as for bashing enemies, and slightly increased the speed it takes for you to deploy and undeploy the shield. This will aid in your ability to swap to weapons and respond to situations with more than just a shield.

Dozer would find himself most vulnerable while traversing across ziplines. We’re ensuring that you’ll now be able to traverse ziplines with your shield equipped. This allows you to continuously push the objective with your squad mates across these vital points of entry. Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.

Receiving End

We’ve covered some areas that will make playing as Dozer a more enjoyable and competitive experience, and it is only right that we also look at what it feels like to be on the receiving end of this Specialist too.

If you come up against an enemy Dozer and you’re firing at his shield you will notice that his bullet deviation is too linear. The end result here is that you end up meeting an untimely end from your own bullets.

While we want to encourage this aspect of Dozer’s gameplay, we feel there is room for improvement. We will be increasing its spread and introducing more bullet trajectory upon hitting his shield. This will ensure that during these encounters you still have a fighting chance, and at the very least, won’t be as impacted by your own bullets as before.

Do it for your Squad

Finally, we feel more can be done to reward further acts of teamplay while playing with the SOB-8 Ballistic Shield.

With this in mind, we’ll also be including two new XP Events as part of Dozer’s changes:

• Damage Assist - If an enemy shoots at your shield, and a deflected bullet hits that enemy and dies within 5 seconds then Dozer will receive a “Damage Assist” bonus.
• Distraction Assist - If an enemy shoots at your shield, and a friendly kills that enemy within 5 seconds then Dozer will receive a “Distraction Assist” bonus.

Irish Areas of Improvement

One Projectile Too Many

One of the key changes that will be taking place for Irish is a balancing pass to the intercepting capabilities of Irish’s APS-36 Shootdown Sentinel (Sentinel).

Going forward, the Sentinel will now have a 5-second window from its first intercept to take down any additional projectiles it detects, such as Frag Grenades and Anti-Infantry Rockets from Specialists and Vehicles.

Once this initial intercept time has elapsed, the Sentinel will enter into a recharging state and will no longer be able to intercept any further projectiles for 7.5 seconds before being able to intercept projectiles once again.

The ability to counter opponents is an important part of Battlefield. Alongside the new recharging state of the Sentinel, you will also be able to take it out with a suitably placed EMP Grenade. Or if you prefer, a more explosive approach with C5. Tank Shells will also solve that task with ease.

Additionally, we have done an audio pass on each of the states the Sentinel goes through to provide more readability as to what is happening at any given time.

Through these accessibility improvements, you will also be able to assign a color of your preference via the Team, Squad and Enemy team colors within the options menu.

Battlefield 2042 includes 3 distinct multiplayer experiences:

• All-Out Warfare - the next generation of fan-favorite modes Conquest and Breakthrough, featuring the largest maps ever for the franchise and for the first time, up to 128 players (on XSX, PS5 and PC). Experience the intensity of All-Out Warfare in large-scale battles like never before on maps filled with dynamic weather, dangerous environmental hazards and spectacular world events that see tornadoes rip across the map and sandstorms block out the sun.
• Hazard Zone - an all-new, high-stakes, squad-based game-type for the Battlefield franchise that is a modern take on the multiplayer experience that is distinctly DICE but very different from All-Out Warfare’s Conquest or Breakthrough modes.
• Portal Mode - A first for the Battlefield franchise, Battlefield Portal is a community-driven platform designed to offer a huge variety of imaginative experiences by giving players the tools to set their own rules and build their own definitive Battlefield experience - and share them with other people.

All Out Warfare launches with seven maps total. Let’s take a quick tour of those:

• Kaleidoscope [Sogdo, South Korea] This cityscape features dense roadways and skyscrapers that can be explored, or if you’ve a wingsuit, leapt off. It’s here that a tornado that dwarves the glittering buildings will make its presence known.
• Manifest [Brani Island, Singapore] Supply lines are under threat in this key location for global trade.
• Orbital [Kourou, French Guiana] Players will battle in the shadow of a towering space rocket pad that’s counting down to an imminent launch. 
• Discarded [Alang, India] Clash around, through and on top of massive ship hulks and the surrounding cranes.
• Renewal [Eastern Desert, Egypt] Wrestle for control of an agriculture technology centre in the Egyptian Desert.
• Hourglass [Doha, Qatar] An approaching sandstorm will shift the tide of war taking place at the heart of a city.
• Breakaway [Queen Maud Land, Antarctica] From hot deserts to icy landscapes: oil and gas are the key resources being fought over here. Insert on the mountaintops with a wingsuit and you can dive into industrial buildings below.

Post launch, Battlefield 2042’s first year promises four seasons of content, bringing with them four new Specialists plus new locations. Each season is marked by a new Battle Pass. EA confirms that new locations will be accessible to all players.

Battlefield 2042 is available for Xbox One, PS4, PC ($59.99), for Xbox Series X|S and PS5 ($69.99).