Battlefield 2042 Season 5 is right around the corner, and as with earlier seasons, Dice invited some members of the press to preview the new content that will be a part of the update. With a new map, new weapons, and many changes, is it enough to keep the momentum that Battlefield 2042 has been receiving alive? Be sure to hit the video below to see all of the details.
The focus of this new season, according to Dice, is combined arms – infantry, and vehicle combat. There are new gadgets to use against vehicles as well as updates to some of the oldest vehicles in the garage to make combat more interesting.
Also, now is a great time to pick up Battlefield 2042 if it’s been on your mind as its only $9 for Xbox Series X and $17 for an online game code for Origin.
New map: Reclaimed
At the center of Season 5 is a new map, Reclaimed. Official playlists will only see this map with up to 64 players as it is the smallest map yet for Battlefield 2042. The map itself is visually stunning with plenty of wartorn scenery set in a late-evening time of day.
Traversing the map feels quick and unlike many of the launch maps – there is plenty of cover and plenty of ways to move about without being exposed out in the open for large portions of time.
Seasoned Battlefield players might find some familiar shapes in this snowy landscape, though. The central area feels very reminiscent of the factories from Zavod in Battlefield 4 though it is not all entirely the same. There isn’t an underground passage between the building, for example, and some of the roofs are shredded from the get-go allowing for easy aerial assaults.
Battlefield 2042 Season 5: Video
The D1 section (C1 in Breakthrough) is an underground bunker that lends itself to close-quarters combat with only three entrances. There are plenty of ways to flank around, though, even by going over the top and sneaking up behind enemy lines.
Unfortunately during the capture event, most of the opponents were AI bots so it was hard to get a completely accurate feel for how the maps will play. In my experience, though, I had a blast on Breakthrough. There are lots of options for flanking, which makes gameplay more varied and enjoyable.
One neat anti-air mechanic is a turret that can be found on top of the building at C2. It’s very effective against helicopters but also easy to take out with stealth bombs, C4, or any other explosive. It ca be repaired or is also set on a timer to respawn much like a vehicle would.
Battlefield 2042 Season 5: New weapons
Season 5 brings a few new weapons to the Battlefield as well as reworked Portal weapons that now feature more of the attachments found on the current BF 2042 guns.
GEW-46
First, let’s talk about the AR – the G36-inspired GEW-46. This is the weapon that I spent the most time using during the capture event. It’s a solid AR that feels accurate with very little recoil. It doesn’t hit as hard as some other more powerful ARs but it feels more like the M5A3.
BFP .50: Desert Eagle makes a comeback
I’m not sure Dice mentioned what BFP stands for, but I can only imagine it’s “Big F-ing Pistol.” The gun kicks hard with a seven or eight-round magazine, the latter being a close-combat variant, but I left it with the standard seven-round mag most of the time and had a blast with it. You can put a larger scope on it, but the damage does fall off after a while and three hits can be hard to land on distant subjects. Up close, though, the BFP .50 is a blast to use.
XCE Bar
I don’t do much sniping in Battlefield 2042, but there is a new bolt-action rifle in the mix. It felt good in my short time using it during the capture event and I also saw lots of positive feedback from others who did use it more during the event – they said it felt great for more aggressive recon players.
Vault weapons
Throughout the last few seasons, Dice has been adding vault weapons to the All-Out Warfare playlists – favorites from previous titles like the A-91, M416, and AEK-971. These guns had their own selection of attachments that was very limited when compared to the native Battlefield 2042 weapons.
Now, many of the portal guns feature many of the attachments found on other 2042 weapons. This makes them more versatile and, frankly, feels better. Rather than a limited add-on, they now feel like a natural part of the Battlefield 2042 gameplay.
Battlefield 2042 Season 5: New gadgets
Also coming to Battlefield 2042 Season 5 is an assortment of grenades. A mini grenade, spring grenade, and anti-tank grenade all behave differently than the current lineup to further vary gameplay.
Mini grenades were a favorite of mine in previous Battlefield titles, but I had a hard time finding much success with them in this limited play test.
The anti-tank grenade is a nice addition to infantry load-outs that want to be able to do a little more damage to tanks and other vehicles.
Reworked vehicle loadouts
As the focus of this season is combined arms, Dice is also changing up some of the vehicles like the LATV4 recon. There are some great new weapon station options like a thermal mini gun as well as an anti-air flak cannon that is quite effective.
Jets are also getting some updates at should make them feel more controllable, and the option of rocket pods for load outs to make them more effective when not locked into a dogfight.
Battlefield 2042 Season 5: Other updates
Later on in Season 5, the remaining launch map, Hourglass, will also be getting a rework. It will be smaller and have more cover throughout the entire map to make traversing the playfield easier. It also will have an underground bunker area for some intense close-quarters combat that I am eager to try out.
From a quality of life standpoint, the UI around gadgets has been updated with some clearer graphics and changes have been made to squad management making it easier to promote leaders.
9to5Toys’ Take
As always, a new season with a new map and weapons is a great time to jump back into Battlefield 2042 and experience the changes firsthand. Personally, BF 2042 is still the game I choose to play when I’m looking for a casual multiplayer shooter.
As mainly an infantry player, I’m also glad there are a few more anti-vehicle and anti-air options with the flak cannon on the LATV4 jeep, anti-vehicle grenades, and even a stationary turret that can swat down annoying helicopters.
If you haven’t tried the class updates or any of the new gadgets, Battlefield 2042 Season 5 is once again a great reason to jump back in and experience the massive changes that have been implemented since its rocky launch.
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