Battlefield 2042 players claim Hazard Zone not being free-to-play is “huge mistake”
Battlefield 2042’s tactical, squad-based mode Hazard Zone has been revealed, but disappointed players feel DICE is making a “huge mistake” with it not being free-to-play.
The free-to-play model has almost become an industry standard for the biggest multiplayer games, with Warzone, Apex Legends, and Fortnite leading the pack, and Halo Infinite following suit in December.
There were initial rumors that Battlefield 2042 would feature a free-to-play mode, and many believed this would be Hazard Zone. However, it has now been confirmed that Hazard Zone will not be free-to-play, and players feel this will be a “huge mistake.”
A Battlefield 2042 dev accidentally said Hazard Zone would be free-to-play but has since clarified the miswording, confirming you must own 2042 to play it. In the Reddit post discussing this, many disappointed Battlefield fans felt that the mode will die off in a matter of weeks.
Many compared Hazard Zone to Firestorm, Battlefield 5’s battle royale that was locked behind a paywall and never really took off. One user said, “Will be interesting for a bit as its new, but will be Dead in a few months, like Firestorm.”
Another said that Hazard Zone “probably won’t last long then lmao especially when going up against Warzone.”
It’s not just the Reddit community that feels this way. Long-time Battlefield YouTuber and EA Game Changer, Westie, voiced his desire for Hazard Zone to be free. He said that not being free-to-play is a “huge mistake” and “feels like a big missed opportunity.”
“Hazard Zone feels like the perfect mode to have as F2P as an entry point into Battlefield 2042 for players who otherwise may not have given it a chance,” he explained.
He then compared it to Halo Infinite’s multiplayer and Warzone, which are completely free-to-play, and Warzone is getting a huge update later in the year with Vanguard’s weapons and a brand-new map.
However, some are happy to see it behind a paywall as it will deter cheaters. Warzone has been plagued with cheaters who keep making new accounts after being banned, so some believe that a free-to-play Hazard Zone would suffer in the same way.
DICE has revealed they will use Easy Anti-Cheat and are committed to supporting it post-launch and Activision is releasing their anti-cheat, RICOCHET, with Vanguard’s launch on November 5th.
Image Credit: DICE / EA