Will Battlefield 2042 go free-to-play?
Almost all of 2022’s top shooters have a free-to-play element, and there are rumors that Battlefield 2042 will follow the trend after its disappointing launch. Here’s everything we know about Battlefield 2042 possibly going free-to-play.
It’s no secret that Battlefield 2042 suffered from a poor launch. Performance issues, wide-open maps, the Specialist system, and the bloom mechanic turned away players new and old.
Battlefield 2042’s player count plummeted, being overtaken by both Battlefield 1 and Battlefield V. EA are reportedly “very disappointed” with its launch, so will Battlefield 2042 go free-to-play to bring in more players?
- Will Battlefield 2042 go free-to-play?
- What Battlefield 2042 modes will become free?
- When would Battlefield 2042 go free-to-play?
Will Battlefield 2042 go free-to-play?
Known industry insider Tom Henderson said that EA were reportedly “very disappointed” with Battlefield 2042’s release and are considering making the game free-to-play “in some capacity.”
As Henderson stated in a follow-up video, it would be a “PR nightmare” if EA made a $70-100 game free-to-play. Instead, it sounds like there are early plans to make an element of Battlefield 2042 free.
What Battlefield 2042 modes will become free?
Tom Henderson believes that EA are looking at making Battlefield Portal the game’s free-to-play mode.
Henderson spoke to two analysts who agree that Portal is the most likely free-to-play option for Battlefield 2042 because it’s EA’s only option. Portal takes content from previous games, letting players create their own modes and experiences. It’s often regarded as the best part of the game, so it would be the best hook to attract free-to-play players.
There were some rumors floating around that suggested the game’s Hazard Zone mode, which features gameplay loosely based on Hunt: Showdown and Escape from Tarkov, would be free-to-play.
However, this wasn’t the case, and it doesn’t appear that it will ever happen. Sources known to Henderson have said that there are only a few hundred people playing Hazard Zone across all platforms, so it’s unlikely that Hazard Zone will be used as a free-to-play element to bring in new players.
When would Battlefield 2042 go free-to-play?
There’s no way of knowing when Battlefield 2042 will receive its free-to-play element, but it’ll most likely be at the start of one of its seasons.
While no release date has been confirmed, Season 1 is expected to begin in March. Battlefield V’s content seasons lasted a few months each, so we wouldn’t expect Season 2 until late Spring.
For more Battlefield, you can check out whether the game has cross-platform play or not.
Image Credit: DICE / EA