<s>
Battlefield	B-Application
2042	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2021	O
first-person	O
shooter	O
,	O
developed	O
by	O
DICE	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
twelfth	O
main	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
Battlefield	B-Application
series	O
and	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
November	O
19	O
,	O
2021	O
,	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
,	O
Windows	O
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X/S	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
previous	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
Battlefield	B-Application
2042	I-Application
is	O
solely	O
multiplayer	O
and	O
does	O
not	O
have	O
a	O
single-player	O
campaign	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
features	O
support	O
for	O
cross-platform	B-Application
play	I-Application
,	O
a	O
first	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Battlefield	B-Application
2042	I-Application
received	O
mixed	O
reviews	O
from	O
critics	O
and	O
a	O
negative	O
reception	O
from	O
players	O
for	O
its	O
technical	O
issues	O
,	O
lack	O
of	O
features	O
,	O
and	O
certain	O
changes	O
to	O
the	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Similar	O
to	O
its	O
predecessors	O
,	O
Battlefield	B-Application
2042	I-Application
is	O
a	O
multiplayer-focused	O
first-person	O
shooter	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
class	O
system	O
is	O
significantly	O
overhauled	O
and	O
removes	O
the	O
four	O
defined	O
classes	O
from	O
previous	O
games	O
;	O
instead	O
,	O
players	O
can	O
assume	O
control	O
of	O
a	O
specialist	O
who	O
falls	O
under	O
the	O
four	O
traditional	O
Battlefield	B-Application
gameplay	O
classes	O
of	O
Assault	O
,	O
Engineer	O
,	O
Medic	O
,	O
and	O
Recon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Levolution	O
and	O
destructive	O
environments	O
from	O
Battlefield	B-Application
4	O
return	O
in	O
Battlefield	B-Application
2042	I-Application
,	O
and	O
extreme	O
weather	O
effects	O
such	O
as	O
tornadoes	B-Language
and	O
sandstorms	B-Application
which	O
may	O
affect	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
featured	O
seven	O
maps	O
at	O
launch	O
,	O
including	O
'	O
Breakaway	O
 '	O
,	O
the	O
largest	O
map	O
in	O
the	O
history	O
of	O
the	O
Battlefield	B-Application
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
modes	O
can	O
be	O
played	O
with	O
and	O
against	O
AI-controlled	B-Application
players	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
,	O
Windows	O
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X/S	I-Device
versions	O
support	O
matches	O
with	O
up	O
to	O
128	O
players	O
,	O
whereas	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
versions	O
support	O
up	O
to	O
64	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
the	O
first	O
time	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
Battlefield	B-Application
2042	I-Application
features	O
support	O
for	O
cross-platform	B-Application
play	I-Application
with	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
,	O
Windows	O
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X/S	I-Device
versions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
versions	O
also	O
support	O
the	O
feature	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
restricted	O
to	O
only	O
players	O
on	O
the	O
two	O
aforementioned	O
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
second	O
main	O
mode	O
included	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
a	O
community-driven	O
platform	O
called	O
"	O
Battlefield	B-Application
Portal	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Portal	O
allows	O
players	O
to	O
create	O
customized	O
multiplayer	O
modes	O
and	O
features	O
select	O
maps	O
from	O
past	O
Battlefield	B-Application
games	O
such	O
as	O
Battlefield	B-Application
1942	I-Application
,	O
Battlefield	B-Application
:	I-Application
Bad	I-Application
Company	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Battlefield	B-Application
3	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
data	O
drives	O
are	O
guarded	O
by	O
enemy	O
combatants	O
controlled	O
by	O
AI-controlled	B-Application
players	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Battlefield	B-Application
2042	I-Application
does	O
not	O
have	O
a	O
single-player	O
campaign	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Outside	O
of	O
multiplayer	O
gameplay	O
,	O
the	O
story	O
is	O
also	O
told	O
on	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
 '	O
official	O
website	O
for	O
Battlefield	B-Application
2042	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
standalone	O
short	O
film	O
titled	O
Exodus	O
,	O
which	O
depicts	O
events	O
leading	O
up	O
to	O
the	O
2042	O
war	O
and	O
features	O
returning	O
Battlefield	B-Application
4	O
character	O
Irish	O
,	O
premiered	O
on	O
August	O
12	O
,	O
2021	O
,	O
via	O
Battlefields	B-Application
YouTube	B-General_Concept
channel	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
Webster	O
Mackay	O
,	O
a	O
former	O
Canadian	O
soldier	O
who	O
is	O
agile	O
on	O
his	O
feet	O
and	O
uses	O
a	O
grappling	B-Application
hook	I-Application
to	O
traverse	O
the	O
landscape	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wikus	O
"	O
Casper	O
"	O
Van	O
Daele	O
,	O
a	O
South	O
African	O
ghillie	O
suit-wearing	O
sniper	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kimble	O
"	O
Irish	O
"	O
Graves	O
,	O
a	O
former	O
United	O
States	O
Marine	O
(	O
and	O
recurring	O
character	O
from	O
Battlefield	B-Application
4	O
)	O
who	O
can	O
defend	O
his	O
teammates	O
with	O
a	O
deployable	O
bulletproof	O
shield	O
or	O
an	O
APS	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
has	O
the	O
largest	O
development	O
team	O
for	O
a	O
Battlefield	B-Application
game	O
,	O
and	O
Criterion	O
had	O
to	O
put	O
the	O
production	O
of	O
the	O
next	O
Need	B-Application
for	I-Application
Speed	I-Application
game	O
on	O
hold	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
assist	O
DICE	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
decision	O
to	O
include	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
for	O
the	O
All-out	O
Warfare	O
mode	O
was	O
made	O
early	O
during	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
development	O
as	O
the	O
team	O
believed	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
be	O
a	O
good	O
entry	O
point	O
for	O
beginners	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ripple	O
Effect	O
,	O
formerly	O
DICE	O
Los	O
Angeles	O
,	O
led	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
Battlefield	B-Application
Portal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
runs	O
on	O
the	O
latest	O
iteration	O
of	O
the	O
Frostbite	B-Operating_System
engine	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
short	O
work-in-progress	O
demonstration	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
shown	O
at	O
the	O
2020	O
EA	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Live	O
event	O
,	O
teasing	O
large	O
scale	O
battles	O
and	O
detailed	O
facial	O
animations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
open	O
beta	O
took	O
place	O
from	O
October	O
6	O
to	O
9	O
,	O
2021	O
,	O
ahead	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
launch	O
on	O
November	O
19	O
,	O
2021	O
,	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
,	O
Windows	O
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X/S	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
EA	O
plans	O
to	O
support	O
the	O
game	O
extensively	O
with	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
after	O
launch	O
;	O
Battlefield	B-Application
2042	I-Application
utilizes	O
the	O
battle	O
pass	O
model	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
update	O
also	O
introduce	O
weapons	O
that	O
were	O
previously	O
exclusive	O
to	O
the	O
"	O
Portal	O
"	O
mode	O
to	O
the	O
main	O
"	O
All-Out	O
Warfare	O
"	O
mode	O
under	O
the	O
name	O
"	O
Vault	O
Weapons	O
"	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
being	O
the	O
M16A3	O
assault	O
rifle	O
and	O
the	O
M60E4	O
light	O
machine	O
gun	O
,	O
originally	O
from	O
Battlefield	B-Application
3	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
initial	O
rollout	O
of	O
the	O
update	O
,	O
which	O
also	O
saw	O
the	O
game	O
be	O
added	O
to	O
the	O
EA	B-Application
Play	I-Application
subscription	O
service	O
,	O
more	O
changes	O
are	O
planned	O
to	O
roll	O
out	O
during	O
the	O
season	O
,	O
including	O
a	O
rework	O
to	O
the	O
specialist	O
system	O
-	O
which	O
marks	O
the	O
return	O
of	O
the	O
class	O
system	O
of	O
past	O
Battlefield	B-Application
titles	O
-	O
and	O
reworks	O
to	O
the	O
"	O
Manifest	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Breakaway	O
"	O
maps	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
these	O
changes	O
,	O
future	O
updates	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
Season	O
3	O
will	O
introduce	O
more	O
legacy	O
"	O
vault	O
"	O
weapons	O
from	O
both	O
Battlefield	B-Application
:	I-Application
Bad	I-Application
Company	I-Application
2	I-Application
and	O
Battlefield	B-Application
3	O
,	O
with	O
Update	O
3.2	O
in	O
particular	O
introducing	O
the	O
aforementioned	O
reintroduction	O
of	O
the	O
class	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Throughout	O
this	O
season	O
,	O
more	O
weapons	O
from	O
Battlefield	B-Application
3	O
are	O
set	O
to	O
return	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Battlefield	B-Application
2042	I-Application
received	O
"	O
mixed	O
or	O
average	O
reviews	O
"	O
on	O
all	O
platforms	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
the	O
lowest-rated	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
Battlefield	B-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
gave	O
the	O
game	O
five	O
out	O
of	O
five	O
stars	O
,	O
writing	O
:	O
"	O
Battlefield	B-Application
2042	I-Application
brings	O
the	O
sandbox	O
back	O
to	O
the	O
series	O
in	O
bold	O
and	O
controversial	O
ways	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hardcore	O
Gamer	O
summarized	O
its	O
3/5	O
review	O
by	O
saying	O
:	O
"	O
Battlefield	B-Application
2042	I-Application
should	O
have	O
been	O
a	O
triumphant	O
return	O
of	O
the	O
franchise	O
and	O
developer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
some	O
respects	O
,	O
Battlefield	B-Application
2042	I-Application
delivers	O
on	O
its	O
promises	O
thanks	O
to	O
fantastic	O
gameplay	O
,	O
a	O
suite	O
of	O
new	O
features	O
and	O
improvements	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
presentation	O
that	O
looks	O
as	O
good	O
as	O
it	O
plays	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jordan	O
Devore	O
of	O
Destructoid	O
wrote	O
,	O
"	O
Battlefield	B-Application
2042	I-Application
feels	O
like	O
it	O
could	O
become	O
a	O
cool	O
game	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
's	O
tantalizingly	O
out	O
of	O
reach	O
today	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GamesRadar+	O
praised	O
Battlefield	B-Application
2042s	I-Application
All-Out	O
War	O
,	O
the	O
visuals	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Portal	O
mode	O
,	O
but	O
criticized	O
the	O
Hazard	O
Zone	O
mode	O
and	O
the	O
removal	O
of	O
classes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
thought	O
similarly	O
,	O
concluding	O
,	O
"	O
For	O
a	O
game	O
claiming	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
future	O
of	O
Battlefield	B-Application
,	O
2042s	O
impressive	O
Portal	O
options	O
make	O
it	O
clear	O
that	O
it	O
does	O
n't	O
stack	O
up	O
to	O
the	O
past	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Phil	O
Iwaniuk	O
writing	O
for	O
The	O
Guardian	O
gave	O
the	O
game	O
two	O
out	O
of	O
five	O
stars	O
,	O
feeling	O
that	O
128-player	O
matches	O
were	O
too	O
chaotic	O
and	O
granted	O
little	O
accomplishment	O
for	O
individuals	O
while	O
noting	O
criticism	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
multiple	O
bugs	B-Error_Name
and	O
netcode	O
issues	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
VG247s	O
Sherif	O
Saed	O
also	O
criticized	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
bugs	B-Error_Name
and	O
poor	O
technical	O
state	O
,	O
adding	O
that	O
many	O
of	O
the	O
same	O
bugs	B-Error_Name
had	O
been	O
present	O
in	O
recent	O
Battlefield	B-Application
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Battlefield	B-Application
2042	I-Application
became	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
worst	O
reviewed	O
games	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
,	O
garnering	O
almost	O
30,000	O
negative	O
reviews	O
by	O
November	O
21	O
,	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
criticized	O
extensive	O
bugs	B-Error_Name
,	O
a	O
lack	O
of	O
features	O
previously	O
included	O
in	O
older	O
Battlefield	B-Application
games	O
,	O
and	O
several	O
changes	O
to	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
becoming	O
one	O
of	O
its	O
most	O
played	O
games	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
at	O
launch	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
player	O
count	O
sharply	O
declined	O
in	O
the	O
following	O
weeks	O
from	O
about	O
105,397	O
concurrent	O
peak	O
players	O
to	O
an	O
average	O
peak	O
of	O
52,000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
November	O
28	O
,	O
2021	O
,	O
Kotaku	O
journalist	O
Zack	O
Zwiezen	O
noted	O
that	O
Battlefield	B-Application
2042	I-Application
had	O
been	O
overtaken	O
in	O
player	O
numbers	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
by	O
Farming	B-Application
Simulator	I-Application
22	I-Application
,	O
considering	O
it	O
notable	O
that	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
biggest	O
games	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
on	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
popular	O
digital	O
stores	O
in	O
the	O
world	O
on	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
biggest	O
gaming	O
platforms	O
in	O
the	O
world	O
 [ ... ] 	O
is	O
n't	O
able	O
to	O
keep	O
up	O
with	O
Farming	B-Application
Simulator	I-Application
22	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
2	O
December	O
,	O
Battlefield	B-Application
2042	I-Application
had	O
lost	O
70%	O
of	O
its	O
initial	O
players	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
December	O
,	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
concurrent	O
player	O
base	O
for	O
Battlefield	B-Application
2042	I-Application
decreased	O
to	O
about	O
19	O
,	O
000	O
,	O
being	O
overtaken	O
by	O
2018	O
's	O
Battlefield	B-Application
V	I-Application
in	O
daily	O
player	O
numbers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
update	O
4.00	O
,	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
player	O
count	O
increased	O
to	O
an	O
average	O
of	O
over	O
2,000	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2022	O
,	O
DICE	O
removed	O
the	O
popular	O
"	O
Rush	O
"	O
mode	O
from	O
the	O
featured	O
playlist	O
in	O
Battlefield	B-Application
2042s	I-Application
Portal	O
mode	O
,	O
resulting	O
in	O
more	O
backlash	O
from	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
Reddit	B-Application
,	O
discourse	O
about	O
Battlefield	B-Application
2042	I-Application
became	O
adversarial	O
enough	O
that	O
moderators	O
threatened	O
to	O
shut	O
down	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
official	O
subreddit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
February	O
2022	O
,	O
a	O
Change.org	B-Application
petition	O
advocating	O
for	O
all	O
buyers	O
of	O
Battlefield	B-Application
2042	I-Application
to	O
be	O
refunded	O
reached	O
more	O
than	O
200,000	O
signatures	O
within	O
a	O
month	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
response	O
to	O
fan	O
feedback	O
,	O
DICE	O
released	O
an	O
update	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
April	O
2022	O
,	O
version	O
4.00	O
,	O
which	O
brought	O
over	O
400	O
changes	O
,	O
including	O
bug	B-Error_Name
fixes	O
,	O
improvements	O
to	O
gameplay	O
balancing	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
additions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
,	O
DICE	O
announced	O
Battlefield	B-Application
2042s	I-Application
Season	O
1	O
and	O
released	O
a	O
video	O
explaining	O
their	O
commitment	O
to	O
improving	O
the	O
game	O
through	O
changes	O
to	O
maps	O
,	O
modes	O
,	O
and	O
Specialists	O
,	O
new	O
items	O
,	O
a	O
focus	O
on	O
smaller	O
player-counts	O
,	O
and	O
improving	O
the	O
controls	O
and	O
animations	O
of	O
player	O
characters	O
;	O
DICE	O
also	O
announced	O
they	O
would	O
no	O
longer	O
be	O
supporting	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
Hazard	O
Zone	O
mode	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
,	O
EA	O
denied	O
reports	O
from	O
Giant	O
Bomb	O
's	O
Jeff	O
Grubb	O
that	O
the	O
development	O
team	O
was	O
"	O
down	O
to	O
a	O
skeleton	O
crew	O
"	O
,	O
saying	O
,	O
"	O
There	O
is	O
a	O
significant	O
team	O
across	O
studios	O
focused	O
on	O
evolving	O
and	O
improving	O
the	O
Battlefield	B-Application
2042	I-Application
experience	O
for	O
our	O
players	O
,	O
and	O
at	O
the	O
heart	O
of	O
that	O
is	O
our	O
team	O
at	O
DICE.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
,	O
Vince	O
Zampella	O
,	O
head	O
of	O
Respawn	O
Entertainment	O
and	O
the	O
Battlefield	B-Application
series	O
,	O
stated	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
"	O
strayed	O
a	O
little	O
too	O
far	O
from	O
what	O
Battlefield	B-Application
is	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Battlefield	B-Application
2042	I-Application
was	O
the	O
third	O
best-selling	O
retail	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
on	O
its	O
week	O
of	O
release	O
,	O
only	O
behind	O
Pokémon	B-Application
Brilliant	I-Application
Diamond	I-Application
and	I-Application
Shining	I-Application
Pearl	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
EA	O
blamed	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
performance	O
on	O
remote	O
work	O
during	O
the	O
COVID-19	O
pandemic	O
,	O
leading	O
to	O
unexpected	O
technical	O
issues	O
during	O
the	O
launch	O
period	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
remarked	O
that	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
design	O
choices	O
made	O
by	O
the	O
team	O
"	O
did	O
not	O
resonate	O
"	O
with	O
the	O
Battlefield	B-Application
community	O
.	O
</s>
