The Battlefield 2042 open beta is coming up very soon, and it’ll give players a first taste at, among other things, how progression works in the sci-fi shooter. DICE is making some changes to the progression system with the new game, and the studio outlined all the key details in a blog post. We’re rounding up the key details here.
XP And Level Cap
Players progress by earning XP, and similar to past games, DICE will reward players with more XP if they play the objective and work as a team for the duration of a match. Players will also get XP for getting kills, assists, and offering support to teammates.
Ribbons are back, too, and they are another way to earn XP in Battlefield 2042. Ribbons can be earned by completing certain objectives, and each has up to three tiers.
Some of the Ribbons include:
- Objective Ribbon – Play the objective
- Wingman Ribbon – Support teammates with revives and various assists
- Logistics Ribbon – Heal and resupply others and repair vehicles
- Intel Ribbon – Spot and disrupt enemies, such as via EMP’s or destroying drones
- Combat Ribbon – Score kills and destroy vehicles
An example of Ribbons in Battlefield 2042
The level cap in Battlefield 2042 at launch is 99. After that, players will reach S-levels, beginning at S001 and running through S999. Players don’t get any additional rewards by ranking up through S-levels, but these S-levels will be displayed in the game for other people to see.
What You Get For Leveling Up
Upon playing Battlefield 2042 for the first time, players will get access to a number of different Specialist characters, along with weapons, vehicles, and gadgets, to let them sample the offerings. After that, players can choose where they want to invest their XP in terms of unlocking new Specialist characters, vehicles, weapons, gadgets, and cosmetics as they progress.
Mastery
In addition to unlocking new weapons, gadgets, and vehicles, players have another progression path called “Mastery.” This unlocks new items for specific pieces of hardware, like a special scope, or a new type of equipment for a vehicle.
“At certain Mastery milestones such as performing 40 kills with a weapon, you’ll also gain cosmetics for that hardware such as a new skin, and a new tier of Mastery Badge you acquire to decorate your Player Card and boast about your achievements,” DICE said. “Earning the top Mastery rewards for hardware and Specialist is a monumental task, with each cosmetic acknowledging your dedication and skill level.”
The Match XP screen in Battlefield 2042
Player Card
A feature that’s brand-new for Battlefield 2042’s progression is what’s called the Player Card. This lets players show off their level, icon, title, and special art of their choosing. It also hosts up to three badges based on accomplishments toward progressing weapons, vehicles, gadgets, and Specialists.
The Player Card can be customized from the Play screen in Battlefield 2042, and the Card of an enemy will show up on the screen when you die. Player Cards will also be viewable at the end-of-match screen.
An example of a Player Card
Players will unlock new art, icons, and titles for their Player Cards over time. “As for what those actions and discoveries entail, we’re looking forward to you exploring and finding out for yourself when the game launches,” DICE said.
Cross-Progression XP
As announced previously, Battlefield 2042 supports cross-progression between console and PC, so anything unlocked on one platform moves to another, provided it’s on the same EA Account. This applies to Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.
Not all content is supported, however, Some Special Edition cosmetics, the digital artbook and soundtrack, unspent currency, and preorder items do not move over to a different platform.
Cosmetics And Microtransactions
Battlefield 2042 will feature cosmetics to unlock either through gameplay or by spending real money. These include new skins for Specialists, weapons, and vehicles, and they come in four rarity types:
- Common (Grey)
- Rare (Blue)
- Epic (Purple)
- Legendary (Gold)
Rare and Epic skins for Specialists come with unique headgear and body elements, and these can be mixed and matched. Legendary skins, however, take the form of a single outfit.
Weapon skins, meanwhile, cover the entire gun, and apply to any attachments, too. There are weapon charms that can be unlocked as well for “nearly” every gun in the game, while vehicles will have skins and decals that can be unlocked by gameplay or with real money. Examples of cosmetic skins for weapons, vehicles, and Specialists can be seen in the images below.
One of the skins that can be unlocked in Battlefield 2042
Gallery
Battlefield 2042’s open beta begins October 8, but everyone who preorders the game or subscribes to EA Play can start playing on October 6.
Following a delay, Battlefield 2042 is slated for release on November 19. A mobile game is in the works, too, and the first gameplay footage recently emerged.
Source: Gamespot
