Update: EA Dice has confirmed the Battlefield 2042 Open Beta will be available from October 8 to October 10, with EA Play members and those who pre-ordered the game able to gain access two days early on October 6. All players can preload the beta starting on October 5. The beta will be available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC.
The Battlefield 2042 Open Beta will feature the Conquest experience on the Orbital map, offering players the chance to try Battlefield 2042's All-Out-Warfare mode, as one of four Specialists: Boris, a Russian engineer who comes with a SG-36; Casper, a South African camouflage and long-ranged attacks expert; Falck, a skilled German medic who specializes in Support; and Mackay, a Canadian outdoorsman and nomad who is equipped with a Grapple Gun. Original story follows:
Battlefield 2042's beta dates may have been leaked by a streaming site, with the delayed beta now slated to kick off next week.
Chinese streaming site Bilibili posted a (now deleted) advert on its live stream page, which was spotted by notable Battlefield leaker Tom Henderson. The Chinese language advert, translated by Henderson, appears to suggest that the Battlefield 2042 beta will run from October 6 to October 9. However, as Henderson points out, October 9 could simply be when the streaming event ends rather than the beta itself.
While EA Dice hasn't confirmed the dates of its Battlefield 2042 beta, Henderson also points out that Battlefield 2042 has recently been added to Bilibili's general categories section - and has an official account on the streaming site - suggesting that the developer is preparing for streaming sometime soon.
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Bilibili has seemingly leaked the #BATTLEFIELD2042 Beta dates. pic.twitter.com/NsmHI2GdM3September 27, 2021
The Bilibili advert may now be removed but, since then, Henderson has posted further evidence of the beta kicking off next week.
As found by Twitter user Daniluk4000, the Origin API code appears to reveal that the Battlefield 2042 beta will run from October 6 to October 7 for Early Access players and from October 8 to October 9 as an open beta, with preload available from October 5.
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Origin API has confirmed that the #BATTLEFIELD2042 BETA will be from Oct 6th-7th for Early Access and Oct 8th-9th as an open BETA. Preload is available Oct 5th at 06:00AM UTC. pic.twitter.com/p1msEA0nkzSeptember 28, 2021
Analysis: it looks likely
EA Dice announced earlier this month that Battlefield 2042 was delayed from its initial October 22 release date to November 19 due to "unforeseen challenges".
The Battlefield 2042 open beta was initially due to take place in September, however, following the delay, Henderson claimed that the beta had also been delayed until October - claiming that the Early Access beta had been pushed to October 6, while the open beta had been pushed to October 8. It seems that both the Origin API and Bilibili leaks corroborate this information.
The Battlefield 2042 beta will allow players to go hands-on with the latest Battlefield for the first time while allowing EA Dice to identify any bugs or issues that need ironing out ahead of release.
If these leaks are true then it looks like EA Dice could be announcing the Battlefield 2042 beta dates sometime soon, likely in the coming days. TechRadar has contacted EA about these rumors and will update this story as we hear more.
An award-winning games journalist, with seven years of experience in games journalism and a degree in journalism from City University, London, Vic brings experience from IGN, Eurogamer, The Telegraph, VG247, Dot Esports and more to the TechRadar table. You may have even heard her on the radio or speaking on a panel, as she’s previously appeared on BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5, BBC Radio Ulster and more. Not only is Vic passionate about games, but she's appeared on both panels and podcasts to discuss mental health awareness. Make sure to follow her on Twitter for more.