EA Dice has revealed that Battlefield 2042 Update 2 arrives on Thanksgiving and will feature critical fixes and balance changes -- and Update 3 is coming in December 2021 with even more improvements.
The launch of Battlefield 2042 has not been without its problems; a number of bugs plagued the game during its Early Access week. Although EA Dice has tackled some problems with hotfixes (such as stuttering and rubberbanding issues), there's still a lot of work to do
What's Coming in Battlefield 2042 Update 2?
There's a lot to be happy about in Battlefield 2042 Update 2. Let's start with some bugfixes: EA Dice believes it has fixed the bug that makes it impossible to revive friendly players. It's also added a respawn protection system that could leave a player in a downed state for too long.
That's not even the best part about this update, though. The Hovercraft's health has been balanced to "bring it more in line with its design" as an alternative to the LATV4; while no specific numbers are mentioned, this probably means that the vehicle's hit points are getting a nerf and it will be easier to kill. Speaking of "easy to kill," the splash damage on the Nightbird's 20mm Cannons is also being adjusted (that is to say, probably nerfed).
It's good that vehicles are getting some changes, but what about the guns? That's where there might be the best news yet: EA Dice has decided that the bullet spread (or "bloom") is too high on some guns and that the PP-29 has been performing a little too well. Here's what's changing for guns:
- Reduced spread globally when zoomed and moving
- Improved stationary zoomed accuracy for many weapons
- Spread now decreases faster and earlier when pacing shots. This means more success with single-fire or short bursts.
- Increased PP-29 vertical recoil to ensure that the weapon does not overperform when engaging outside of its intended combat range
This update will also reactive the UAV-1 interaction for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 maps in the Battlefield Portal. These aren't all of the changes coming in Battlefield 2042 Update 2, mind; EA Dice says that it will release more detailed patch notes tomorrow.
That's not the only news today, though -- Battlefield 2042 Update 3 looks like it will be solving some of the most serious issues with the game.
When is the Battlefield 2042 Update 2 Release Date?
The Battlefield 2042 Update 2 release date will be Thursday, November 25, 2021.
Battlefield 2042 Update 3 Promises to Fix Some of the Game's Biggest Problems
Aside from detailing Battlefield 2042 Update 2, today's blog post also explains some of what's coming in Battlefield 2042 Update 3. The December 2021 update for the game includes over a hundred bugfixes, balance changes, and improvements.
To start, EA Dice will be deploying a fix for an issue that caused some games (especially in the Breakthrough game mode) to fail to start entirely. The Breakthrough game mode will also be getting some UI improvements that should make it more obvious when your team is running low on tickets.
Vehicles are getting some fixes, too -- specifically, a bug that occasionally prevented missile countermeasures from working should be resolved in Update 3. Hopefully, that will reduce the instances of getting shot down when you should have had a chance to get away. If you've used your flares anyway, you'll be happy to hear that all of the game's maps are getting fixes for their level geometry; hopefully, this means that you can fly near cover without it erroneously clipping your aircraft. Additionally, the NTW-50's damage against vehicles -- which rivaled that of the CG Recoilless M5 -- is going to be nerfed.
The difficulty of Battlefield 2042 Hazard Zone is being eased a bit, too -- following the launch of Update 3, all players will get a 1st match bonus of 1,000 Dark Market Credits to give them a fighting chance. It should be a little easier to find Data Drives, too; the chance of initial Data Capsules to have multiple Data Drives has been increased.
Specific Specialists are getting some fixes, changes, and improvements as well. Angel, for example, will now see the closest player who needs Armor highlighted by a white outline; Angel will also be able to self-apply Armor by holding down the key. Rao will get a short grace period for his hack when a target is blocked by geometry (such as when a vehicle is passing behind some trees), and Boris' SG-36 Sentry Gun will now disappear only after he's been killed instead of vanishing when he's downed.
Critically, EA Dice says that these are just some of the changes that are coming in Battlefield 2042 Update 3, categorizing it as "just a snapshot" of what's to come. You can read today's blog post for the lengthy teaser of the Update 3 patch notes.
When is the Battlefield 2042 Update 3 Release Date?
The Battlefield 2042 Update 3 release date will be sometime in early December 2021; a more specific release date has not yet been announced. Furthermore, EA Dice aims to get yet another update out before the Holidays along with some details on Season 1 content.
For now, you can look forward to playing a (hopefully improved) version of Battlefield 2042 starting on Thanksgiving and even more improvements arriving next month. If you haven't yet jumped into the game, you can buy Battlefield 2042 for PC and consoles starting at $59.99 or your regional equivalent via its official website.
What do you think of the changes coming in Battlefield 2042 Update 2? How long do you think it will take EA Dice to resolve the most serious issues with the game? Let us know in the comments below!
