Update: Battlefield is officially delayed until November 19, 2021. In a tweet, the team confirmed that unforeseen difficulties developing the game in COVID conditions led to delays, but assured fans that updates on the Open Beta would be coming later in September. Original article follows:
Battlefield 2042’s October 22 release date is rumored to be delayed, according to reports from game insiders. However, Battlefield fans shouldn’t worry too much, as the release date is set to slip back by a few weeks, rather than months.
GamesBeat’s Jeff Grubb was the first to hint at an imminent delay of a singular major upcoming game release, which he later revealed was Battlefield 2042 on his Discord. Grubb’s claims have since been backed up by notable Battlefield insider Tom Henderson, who tweeted that Battlefield 2042 is to be delayed by several weeks, with a release date around late November being hinted at.
Developer EA Dice remains quiet about the dates of Battlefield 2042’s open beta, which is set to arrive in September. But with two weeks left of September remaining, and still no word from Dice, Battlefield 2042’s delay seems ever more likely - however the developer hasn’t confirmed this.
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Opinion: Battlefield and Call of Duty enter the Octagon once again
If Battlefield 2042 does end up being delayed to November, we’ll once again see the veteran FPS duke it out against its bitter rival Call of Duty. The upcoming Call of Duty: Vanguard is set to release on November 5, the same month Battlefield 2042 is rumored to be delayed to.
It’ll be interesting to see if Battlefield 2042 matches or surpasses the quality of Call of Duty: Vanguard, as the last Battlefield title (Battlefield 5) left some fans unimpressed. But while Call of Duty is sticking to its tried and tested formula this time round, EA Dice has opted to try something new with 2042, a move that could win back those jaded by the last series entry. With a focus on evolving the series’ crowd-pleasing chaotic sandbox gameplay and huge multiplayer battles, while adding fresh new features such as extreme weather conditions, Battlefield 2042 is set to be the most ambitious Battlefield to date.
It looks like Vanguard has some serious competition. And, as it stands, my money is on Battlefield 2042. If Dice and EA can deliver on their vision of Battlefield 2042 having unprecedented, massive, all-out-warfare on a scale never seen before, then Call of Duty will probably permanently reside on my bookcase this November.
TechRadar has contacted EA for comment.
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