Battlefield 2042 Season 3: Escalation is right around the corner. A new map, three brand-new weapons, a new specialist, and ongoing changes all await returning players. Additionally, starting with season 3, DICE is putting Battlefield 2042 on EA Play which means Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will be able to play without purchasing. Upcoming free-to-play days make it appealing, but will Battlefield 2042 Season 3 bring back many players? Be sure to hit the video below to see all of the details.
New weapons
Season 3, Escalation, brings with it three new weapons and two vault weapons. First off, is the Rorsch MK-4 Railgun.
Like the BSV-M, the Rorsch can swap between a powerful single-shot mode to a full-auto mode. This versatility combined with the t-system that enables swapping attachments on weapons makes the Rorsch able to adapt to the changing battlefield.
As a railgun, this weapon does have a bit of a charge-up time. I didn’t have much of an issue with close combat in automatic mode, but when sniping, I had a bit more trouble hitting targets.
There was a lot of feedback about the Rorsch being strong against vehicles. It will be interesting to see if a nerf happens because of that.
Another new weapon is the NVK-S22 shotgun. A futuristic semi-auto double-barrel shotgun, I also had a blast using this. I don’t often run shotguns in Battlefield 2042, but this was really enjoyable.
Battlefield 2042 Season 3: Video gameplay
Ammo types consist of buckshot, slug, and flechette. The slug can two-shot enemies and was strong a long ranges. Once again, it seems strong and it will be interesting to see if DICE decides to nerf that.
Lastly, there is a new pistol that has a three-round burst mode as well. It was effective at close range.
Battlefield 2042 Season 3: Vault weapons
Additionally, there are two vault weapons returning – the A-91 and XM8 LGM. For the A-91 at least, there aren’t many attachment options, but considering how limited BF2042 has been in the past with weaponry, I’m glad to see any additions.
Throwing knife
Another fun weapon that I’m sure will be great for some memes is the throwing knife. It takes up the throwable slot and has three uses. While I didn’t get any kills with it during the capture event, I certainly got killed by it plenty of times. Despite all of my years running a gunslinger hunter on Destiny 2, I still need more practice with a throwing knife.
New tank
The rail technology has also crossed over into vehicles with a new tank. There are two different firing modes – one slows down the turret but does more damage. I was only able to spend a short amount of time in the tank during the event, but I heard from others that people who don’t usually drive tanks really enjoyed this new style.
New Specialist – Zain
I found myself really enjoying the new specialist, Zain. His airburst launcher, inspired by Battlefield 4, can suppress enemies and when the combat gets busy, taking out an enemy immediately starts health regeneration. Combined with the new shotgun, I spent a lot of the capture event running around with Zain.
Battlefield 2042 Season 3 New Map: Spearhead
Season 3 also adds a new map – Spearhead. Set in Sweden, this map combines hilly terrain, a few industrial areas, and two huge cube-shaped buildings. From what I could tell, the building are nearly identical – they even have the same vent system that allows for some sneaky spawn point placement.
While it’s fun to have a new map to play, I quickly found it a little stale, considering that the two main buildings were nearly identical. It would have been nice to see some variety inside these structures.
Battlefield 2042 Season 3: More upcoming changes
While not live at launch, Season 3 will also see changes to specialists and the return of the Battlefield class system that was abandoned with the launch of Battlefield 2042. This has been one of the biggest criticisms of the game, and you have to give it to DICE for listening to the player base and making the changes that are being requested the most.
Additionally, Season 3 will eventually see remakes of two launch maps – Manifest and Breakaway. Once again DICE is listening to player feedback and making big changes to these maps to prioritize some of their best locations and make it quicker to get into combat.
Battlefield 2042 Season 3: Try it before you buy it
Battlefield 2042 has been out for over a year now. It’s been plagued with issues along the way and the development of new content has been slower than in previous games. Combine with the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and its free-to-play counterpart, Warzone 2, DICE is putting BF2042 on EA Play which also means its available on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Additionally, there will be some upcoming free-to-play dates. For Xbox, those dates are Dec 1-4. PC gets to play from Dec 1-5, and Playstation can get in from Dec 16-23.
9to5Toys’ Take
While the map might be a little lackluster for me, I enjoy the new specialist and the new weapons; they were a lot of fun. Like the BSV-M, it will be interesting to see if they get a bit of a nerf after launch, but they are worth trying out. I rarely run shotguns, but had a blast with the new S22.
For me, DICE continues to make Battlefield 2042 more fun but I’m afraid it’s too little too late. Many players who tried the game early on were burned by the issues at launch and haven’t been willing to give it much of a chance since.
Personally, it’s still the game that I’ll hop on when I’m just looking to casually play a multiplayer FPS without wanting to commit to a more intense battle royale format. Call of Duty remains a bit too fast-paced for me, and Battlefield always has some of the most insane memorable moments thanks to the massive sandbox of vehicles, abilities, and equipment.
At the very least, if you have the time during the free-to-play days, it’s worth it to jump in and see if you enjoy the chaotic and unpredictable gameplay that Battlefield 2042 can deliver.
Battlefield 2042 Season 3: Escalation
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