It’s been a few years since both a Battlefield and Call of Duty game were released around the same time. This year, though, fans will get Battlefield 2042 on October 22 and Call of Duty: Vanguard on November 5. Many will check out both, but the competition—especially since they’re only two weeks apart—is going to be a constant point of comparison.
Notably, however, each game seems to have a different targeted audience. While this may deter some direct comparisons (as Call of Duty: Vanguard has a campaign and Battlefield 2042 does not), it’s unlikely to prevent all of them. Still, it’s nice knowing that however one likes their first-person shooter, both games aim to please a specific audience.
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Battlefield 2042 is Going All-In on Multiplayer
As it looks, Battlefield 2042 is looking to be a definitive multiplayer experience. There may be no proper campaign, but there is a story woven into Battlefield 2042’s playable specialist. There is still a strong backdrop for events, as a massive Kessler Syndrome Event results in a vast majority of orbiting satellites to crash. The resulting impact on the world leads to all-out war between the United States and Russia.
To focus on its multiplayer gameplay elements, Battlefield 2042 has three modes: All-Out Warfare, Hazard Zone, and Portal. Breakthrough and Conquest return as playable modes in All-Out Warfare, while Portal is a community-driven sandbox with deeply customizable elements and returning maps from older Battlefield games. In Portal, the future and past of Battlefield are used to give players a lot of control over how they play Battlefield 2042. Then, there’s Hazard Zone—which has yet to be detailed in full—but is some form of cooperative multiplayer.
At the end of the day, Battlefield 2042 is waging the war to get multiplayer lovers from all walks of life to join together to define the Battlefield experience.
Call of Duty: Vanguard is Classic Call of Duty Re-Envisioned
A return to the World Wars (WWII in this case) is a classic move by Call of Duty, and so too is its offerings. The game reportedly plays similar to Modern Warfare, with similar mechanics and interactions, and it’ll offer a single-player campaign for those who enjoy story-based shooters.
Obviously, the game also includes multiplayer as a big element. There is a total of 20 maps: 16 for core game modes and 4 for Call of Duty: Vanguard’s Champion Hill—the new iteration of Gunfight. Gunsmith is also returning, while a “caliber system” is used for destructible and reactive maps. Of course, Call of Duty: Vanguard will also be integrating with Warzone for those who want their Battle Royale fix.
Perhaps the most surprising announcement was Call of Duty: Vanguard’s Zombies Mode, made in collaboration with Treyarch. It’s an expansion of the Dark Aether story, as well as a prologue to Black Ops Cold War. All of this should appeal to any longtime fan, as it’s a very straightforward, classic CoD approach.
As such, while comparisons are inevitable, there’s no reason not to play both. If both games are as high quality as they can be, it means that fans can find a classic experience in Call of Duty: Vanguard and a multiplayer-focused, franchise-defining experience in Battlefield 2042.
Battlefield 2042 releases October 22 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Call of Duty: Vanguard releases November 5 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.