Battlefield 2042 Specialist Guide

In this Battlefield 2042 Specialist Guide, I'll break down how Specialists are different from the Classes in the older Battlefield games, how they work, and give you some tips and tricks for making the most of them.

Specialists Are Battlefield 2042's Operators - And They're Very Different From Classes

Battlefield 2042 Specialists are arguably an improvement over the old Class system from earlier Battlefield games, giving players a greater level of flexibility than they've ever had in the franchise.

Previously, Classes could select from Class Primary Weapons or Multi-Class Primary Weapons, a Sidearm, and various Grenades, Gadgets, and special tools. You couldn't, for example, carry a sniper rifle and a rocket launcher at the same time.

All of that changes with Battlefield 2042 Specialists. Now, each Specialist has a Speciality and a Trait -- that's it. Everything else can be customized to your tastes. On the upside, that gives you a lot more flexibility. On the downside, your choice of Specialist may be more important than ever. Read on and we'll break down each Specialist -- and we'll give you some tips for playing them, too.

Battlefield 2042 Specialist Guide - Assault Specialists

Assault Specialists are the front-line fighters. If you want someone to charge into a building, it's probably an Assault Specialist. They can range from highly-mobile, destructive warfighters to veritable walking tanks.

Sundance - Emma "Sundance" Rosier

• Specialty - Grenade Belt / Smart Explosives - Sundance has a variety of specialty grenades available to her.
  • Scatter Grenade - Detonates into several smaller submunitions, covering a wide area.
  • Anti-Armor Grenade - Deploys a micro-drone that will automatically target an enemy vehicle.
  • EMP Field Grenade- Deploys an EMP field that shorts out enemy equipment.
• Trait - Wingsuit - Sundance can deploy a Wingsuit instead of a parachute

Battlefield 2042 Sundance Tips

Sundance is great for flanking, especially when it comes to airborne insertions. The Wingsuit gives Sundance unparalleled mobility in the air. If you intend on dropping out of a helicopter or plane to attack, Sundance is a great choice. Use her Scatter Grenade as she lands and she can suppress an area, allowing you to establish a beachhead for the slower allies parachuting in behind you.

Although Sundance is an assault, the Anti-Armor Grenade can be useful for fighting vehicles. If the enemy team is tearing your team up with vehicles, consider picking Sundance (and give her a rocket launcher as well).

Dozer - Santiago "Dozer" Espinoza

• Specialty - SOB-8 Ballistic Shield - Blocks incoming fire while active.
  • Note: Dozer's Ballistic Shield is currently disabled due to a bug.
• Trait: Blast Resistance - Takes reduced damage from explosives.

Battlefield 2042 Dozer Tips

Flanking and sneak attacks are a solid strategy, but sometimes you just need to go in through the front door. Your best option for that is a tank. Your second-best option is Dozer -- the sheer amount of punishment he can absorb makes him a great choice for mobile cover.

There's no real deep strategy to Dozer here - he's great as long as he is fighting enemies in one direction. Should he get flanked, he'll lose one of his biggest advantages.

Mackay - Webster Mackay

• Specialty - Grappling Hook - Allows Mackay to quickly climb to higher ground or cross gaps.
• Trait - Nimble - Mackay moves faster when aiming and on ziplines.
• Note: Mackay gets unlocked at Level 15.

Battlefield 2042 Mackay Tips

Mackay is the speedster of the Assault class. He shouldn't be the first guy through the door, but he's a great choice for number two. Or even better, drop in through a window using your Grappling Hook and hit the enemy from an unexpected direction.

That Grappling Hook also happens to make Mackay an excellent sniper. Good snipers know to move their position and set up in places with good cover; Mackay can reach many of these places easier than most. And if things get bad, his Grappling Hook will also allow him to quickly escape the area.

Battlefield 2042 Specialist Guide - Engineer Specialists

Engineer Specialists largely depend on deployable gadgets. They're good enough fighters in their own right, mind, but you're not making the most of them if you're failing to use all of the cool toys they bring out onto the battlefield.

Irish - Kimble "Irish" Graves

• Specialty - Fortification System - A series of useful defensive devices.
  • DC-2 Deployable Cover - Placeable cover with bulletproof glass that allows you to see the enemy coming with relative safety.
  • APS-36 Shootdown Sentinel - A placeable point-defense device that will shoot down incoming grenades and missiles.
• Trait - Veteran - Irish gets extra Armor and recovers more Armor.

Battlefield 2042 Irish Tips

Irish's extra Armor makes him a solid choice in a stand-up fight, but his Gadgets are the real source of his power. The DC-2 Deployable Cover is great for digging in and securing an important objective, and the APS-36 Shootdown Sentinel can keep your squad from being wiped out.

Naturally, not all maps are going to have closed-off areas -- some places are pretty darn open. Irish can excel offensively, too, by sprinting ahead and placing DC-2 Deployable cover for the people behind him as he advances.

Boris - Pyotor "Boris" Guskovsky

• Specialty - SG-36 Sentry Gun - An automated turret that shoots any hostiles within range.
• Trait - Sentry Operator - Sentry Guns near Boris are more effective.

Battlefield 2042 Boris Tips

While Boris can use his Sentry Gun as a distraction or as a flank, he's best at defending an area (especially when paired with Irish). Place his Sentry in unexpected places and make sure not to stand next to it -- after all, two guns are better than one.

Battlefield 2042 Specialist Guide - Recon Specialists

Recon Specialists are the sneaky devils of Battlefield 2042. They don't go in the front door -- they sneak in through the back. They're also fantastic at gathering valuable intelligence on enemy forces.

Casper - Wikus "Casper" Van Daele

• Specialty - OV-P Recon Drone - This flying drone is more than an observer - it can also hit enemies with an EMP or laser-designate targets for friendly munitions.
• Trait: Movement Sensor - Casper can sense when enemies or enemy vehicles are moving near him.

Battlefield 2042 Casper Tips

While Battlefield 2042 is all about playing together, Casper excels at being alone. His Movement Sensor makes him ideal for infiltrating enemy lines and avoiding enemies before he sees them. Casper can also use his Recon Drone to scout ahead and watch for any potential trouble.

That's not to say that Casper can't be used defensively, too -- his drone's effectiveness is improved when you're feeding spotting data to nearby allies. Even if you're not infiltrating somewhere, the Movement Sensor may give you early warning for an incoming attack.

Rao - Navin Rao

• Specialty - Cyberwarfare Suite - Disables enemy hardware.
• Trait - Trojan Network - Downing a hacked enemy reveals other enemies.

Battlefield 2042 Rao Tips

Rao's biggest strength is in his ability to disable enemy vehicles and equipment. If a Sentry Gun has been giving you trouble, you can shut it down and just waltz right in without taking a hit. That said, his ability to shut down vehicles might be far more useful -- doubly so if you equip him with C5 or a rocket launcher to take advantage of the situation.

Mind, Rao's strengths also depend somewhat on the map. There may be map features (such as doors, gates, or bridges) that Rao can activate from a distance using his Cyberwarfare Suite. Naturally, the value of these skills depends on what exactly the map has (and where you are on that map).

Paik - Ji-Soo Paik

• Specialty - EMG-X Scanner - Highlights enemies behind cover once activated.
• Trait - Acquisition - Enemies who damage you automatically become Spotted.
• Note: Paik is locked until Level 25.

Battlefield 2042 Paik Tips

Paik is probably one of the best (if not the best) trackers in the game due to her EMG-X Scanner. If a Sniper has been giving you trouble or you're not so sure about a building, you can send her in to pinpoint the enemy's exact location. Paik's abilities extend to defensive uses, too, thanks to her Acquisition Trait; she is, in fact, one of the only Specialists who you might want to actually get shot on purpose.

Battlefield 2042 Specialist Guide - Support Specialists

Support Specialists are all about... well, they support the team. It's right there in the name. Specifically, Support Specialists are great for healing and reviving allies, making them an invaluable component of any Squad. If you like to play a Healer, then a Support Specialist may be for you.

Falck - Maria Falck

• Specialty - S21 Syrette Pistol - Allows Falck to heal allies at range.
• Trait - Combat Surgeon - Allies are revived at full health.

Battlefield 2042 Falck Tips

Falck is a pure healer, nothing to it. There's no special tips or deep strategy I can give you other than to make the most use of your healing and revive abilities. The latter is especially important -- a revived ally is one less ticket lost in most game modes.

Angel - Constantin "Angel" Anghel

• Specialty - Loadout Crate - Resupplies ammo, armor, and loadout call-in
• Trait - Trauma Specialist - Revives ally and grants them armor.

Battlefield 2042 Angel Tips

Angel is a little more of a versatile Support Specialist compared to Falck. While Falck goes all-in on healing, Angel does a little bit of everything. His revive ability is useful, yes (especially with the added Armor), but don't sleep on his Loadout Crate -- especially because it regenerates ammo at a pretty good pace. Angel is a great pick if your Squad intends on staying behind enemy lines for an extended period.