It's a given by now that the upcoming Battlefield 2042 is one of the most eagerly awaited games of 2021, easily. It's bombastic, dynamic, and seems like a proper return to form for DICE and EA. We really do love what we've seen of it so far! To that end, we're incredibly excited to announce that Battlefield 2042 Beta start times have finally been announced, and whaddayaknow - they're pretty close by.

The availability of the BF2042 Beta will depend primarily on the version of the game you own. Players who haven't yet had the chance to pre-order the game will, for example, unlock access to the Open Beta a bit later on. We've got all that information shown below, though, so read up and get ready. We're in for quite the show early this October.

Battlefield 2042 Beta Start & End Times

As you may already be aware from other sources, Battlefield 2042 Beta start is slated for October 6th, though not for everyone. Anybody who's pre-ordered the game beforehand will, for example, have the opportunity to start playing right away, while other pre-purchase owners will need to wait until October 8th to get started with it.

On top of this, there's been no word yet on when, exactly, the beta would wrap up. We do know that the downloads will be available on the 5th, but we'll need to wait and see for a bit longer until we can say how much time you'll have to enjoy the game in the meantime. Down below, we've prepared the exact timeline with all the info we currently have:

We also have a good idea of how long the Open Beta will last, for that matter.

After the 8th, everyone will have a chance to give the game a shot. This also means that gamers who haven't placed a pre-purchase on the game at all, as that's how the system worked with previous Battlefield entries. If you want to get a few extra days' worth of playtime, however, you're going to need to splurge. Worth it? We think yes!

Battlefield 2042 Beta Content

Update:

As of right now, the Open Beta features just one major game mode and just one major map. It's not a bad one, though. Namely, we'll be playing Conquest on the Orbital map, featuring a veritable rocket launch as the map-changing event. Some fascinating stuff, we feel.

On top of that, we'll get to choose from four unique Specialists:

From gunner to sniper, these musketeers offer a wide variety of playstyles, and should offer a solid vertical slice of what the game's launch roster of 10 unique Specialists will look like. Do keep in mind, however, that no Open Beta progression will be kept for the game's launch. This is a purely sandboxed environment.

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As far as content goes, we're pretty clueless on what's getting featured in the Open Beta. We expect the game to feature a cross-cut selection of weapons, gadgets, Specialists, and maps - something emblematic of the whole experience, really. This almost certainly does not include experimental game modes, such as Hazard Zone and Portal, though you never really know with DICE. In fact, chances are that no dedicated Single-Player mode would be available, either.

That being said, it's been repeated over and over again that AI bots are, for the first time, a crucial element in Battlefield 2042. With maps and servers that support up to 128 players simultaneously, it's a given that bots will need to stand in for players while they're being matchmade into groups, squads, and factions. Depending on how tightly interwoven this feature is into the game's fabric, DICE might not have the option of disabling bots at all at this point in time.

So, we don't know which specific maps we're getting just yet. Expect a baseline selection of weapons and gadgets, too - it's unlikely we'll get anything truly game-changing this time around. Instead, DICE and EA are likely testing for stability and performance, and this means providing players with a somewhat limited and vanilla experience at this time. Exciting stuff, for sure.

Are You Prepared?

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There's really not that much else we know at this time. We don't really think DICE would make a separate content availability announcement, either, so the odds are good that we'll just need to wait and see what the BF2042 Open Beta looks like for ourselves. Thankfully, it's really just a hop and a skip away.

Now! Don't forget that we're yet to find out how long the beta will last, either. It could be a week, but it could also be less than that. If you want to get in as much playtime as possible, you may want to look into pre-purchase offers for Battlefield 2042. The good news, of course, is that you'll score a batch of exclusive goodies if you buy them. These include weapon skins, dangly bits, and Specialists, among other things. It's a great deal for an FPS fan, we feel.

It goes without saying that the most important part, naturally, is that we're about to play BF2042! That alone has us giddy with potential. We can't wait to immerse ourselves into yet another awesome DICE shooter. Not least when we consider the fact that it's a modern Battlefield game at last. Or, at least, modern-ish, but we can work with that.

Expect plenty of Open Beta updates right here on this page, so bookmark it and check in every so often. End times, content overview, and more are all incoming. Stay tuned!

It’s a given by now that the upcoming Battlefield 2042 is one of the most eagerly awaited games of 2021, easily. It’s bombastic, dynamic, and seems like a proper return to form for DICE and EA. We really do love what we’ve seen of it so far! To that end, we’re incredibly excited to announce […]