‘Battlefield 2042’ delayed until November

The upcoming installment in DICE's long-running Battlefield series has been delayed by nearly a month.

In a statement on Thursday, DICE general manager Oskar Gabrielson said that they have made the decision to shift the release of Battlefield 2042 from Oct. 22 to Nov. 19 due to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Building the next generation of Battlefield during a global pandemic has created unforeseen challenges for our development teams," Gabrielson said. "Given the scale and scope of the game, we had hoped our teams would be back in our studios together as we move towards launch. With the ongoing conditions not allowing that to happen safely, and with all the hard work the teams are doing from home, we feel it is important to take the extra time to deliver on the vision of Battlefield 2042 for our players."

"Your enthusiasm for the game has been very inspiring. We believe in the game we're making, and we thank you for you patience as we put some finishing touches into the experience," he added.

Although Battlefield 2042 is facing a tad bit of setback, Gabrielson assured fans that updates on the game's Open Beta will be announced later this month.

Dubbed as the "biggest, most ambitious title" in the franchise, Battlefield 2042 promises to offer a near-future all-out war experience in the multiplayer sandbox, including wing suits, robot dogs, and dynamic weather systems that move around the map.

In the upcoming installment, players will navigate through a world that's set a couple of years in the future, where shortages of food, energy, and clean water have led to dozens of failed nations, creating the "greatest refugee crisis in human history."

There are three game options in 2042. The first one is called the All-Out Warfare, which features matches of up to 128 players for PC and next-gen consoles. Those with older consoles, however, will max out at 64 players.

In addition to that, this new multiplayer option will also introduce the latest version of the Conquest and Breakthrough modes and will also include a destructive weather system such as tornadoes and sandstorms that can greatly affect the in-game situation.

The second one is called the Hazard Zone, an all-new squad-based game that is "distinctly DICE but very different from All-Out Warfare’s Conquest or Breakthrough modes."

The third option, meanwhile, is called Portal, which allows players to create custom-made modes using elements such as weapons, vehicles, and gears from previous titles like Battlefield 1942, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and Battlefield 3.

(Images from DICE)