New Delhi, June 8 (FN Representative) After its infamous entry into the acclaimed first person shooter franchise, “Battlefield 2042” is getting its first season of post launch content, titled the ‘Zero Hour’. “Battlefield 2042” itself was hyped to be developer DICE’s best selling gaming entry into the Battlefield franchise featuring refined large-scale battles with the familiar setting of the near-future era and improved physics. However, its unfinished, not fully rendered state filled with extensive bugs, removal of certain old features as well as several unwelcome changes to gameplay made it a hot target of bashing, trolling and high notoriety among players as the game was voted one of the worst games on Steam and severely undermet all developer expectations.
‘Zero Hour’ will add a free new map called Exposure, a mountainous Canadian map whose serenity contrasts with the cycle of helicopter death and rebirth that characterizes Battlefield matches. It will also introduce Battlefield 2042’s first battle pass. ‘Zero Hour’ will also introduce a new Specialist called Ewelina and a new weapon in the form of her rocket launcher. Furthermore, the new season also includes a wider range of gear, including a crossbow with multiple round options (including explosive), a mid-range rifle and a smoke grenade launcher, with EA also bringing in additional skins and melee takedown animations for Premium Battle Pass buyers. With Season 1, Battlefield 2042 also gets a new battle pass system. It has 100 tiers, 30 for free and 70 for premium battle pass holders. and free content you can earn, but also a $10 premium pass that includes more rewards. ‘Zero Hour’ also hones in on the many bug fixes and needed feature additions since launch. Players can thus expect greater stability, better balancing and improved handling for guns and vehicles, among other tweaks. Custom game mode creators can expect a more powerful editor and a new preset, while Portal brings back some vehicles and “experiences.” Finally, Season 1 also brings some updates to existing maps.
Kaleidoscope will be getting a minor facelift in August, with more cover strewn across the map and new POIs. It’s also in the works for Renewal to get a slight rework in Season 2. There are some other quality of life updates that are coming later in June and July as part of Season 1 to improve visuals, animations, game performance, and weapon balancing. The update will be releasing on June 9 and while originally scheduled to launch in early 2022, the update was delayed to summer so that DICE could focus on bringing the base game up to scratch following its troubled launch. DICE also recently confirmed that it plans to wind down on the development of new content for Battlefield 2042’s Hazard Zone mode focusing on fixing additional bugs and adding patches. While it will remain playable and the studio will continue to address any critical issues that arise, future maps and content won’t be supported in Hazard Zone.