Plenty has been said about the fact that Battlefield 2042 does not have a campaign, with gamers either frustrated or unbothered by the decision. However, while there may be no singleplayer content for players to enjoy, that does not mean that a story is not being told. In fact, Battlefield 2042 is actually spinning a more complex narrative than what is usually seen in Battlefield, as it focuses on the story of the Non-Patriated (No-Pats) – people that watched their countries fall apart.
DICE will tell the story of the No-Pats as the game continues to be supported, with Battlefield 2042’s post-launch Seasons and Hazard Zone game mode giving players some insight into where things are going next. With official short stories also being released regularly, it seems like there is going to be plenty of lore for those that are interested to dive into. One of the most interesting pieces of promotional material for the game thus far highlights its backstory, as the short film Battlefield: Exodus does a nice job of teasing the main conflict. However, it also connects to Battlefield 4 in a surprising way, even confirming which ending is canon.
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Battlefield 4’s Ending
While the multiplayer portion of Battlefield 4 was popular, many would agree that the campaign was rather forgettable. Focusing on a silent protagonist named Recker, players have little reason to care about who they are playing as. While there are a few memorable moments like the destruction of a dam, the singleplayer mode lacks standout set pieces beyond that. Not doing the best job of using the destruction mechanics or telling an exciting story, the campaign was serviceable at best. If there is one positive, though, it was Recker’s squadmates.
For the few players that remember the Battlefield 4 campaign fondly, Irish was a major highlight. Irish, real name Kimble Graves, had a close bond with fellow squad mate Pac, viewing him as a younger brother. He also showed a soft spot for some Chinese refugees despite the country being the enemy faction of the 2014 game, proving that he values being a good person over following orders. After a series of missions, players come to the end of the game and need to decide Irish’s fate.
Irish and the group eventually reached the warship of Admiral Chang, the main villain of the game, and found themselves in a situation where the ship needed to be destroyed. While they successfully planted C4 and retreated, the explosives did not detonate. As such, someone needed to go down and manually detonate the charges, which was a guaranteed suicide mission. The player, in the shoes of Recker, then decided who would make the sacrifice. The choices are between Irish and Hannah, with the latter being a Chinese Secret Service agent who had befriended the group. After the warship explodes, the game ends with a somber conversation between Irish and Hannah, letting players reflect on who they lost.
Battlefield Exodus Confirms Irish’s Fate
Considering that Battlefield 4’s ending sees players deciding the fates of these two characters, there has been no canon conclusion to the game in the seven years since release. Players have had no idea whether Hannah or Irish is the “official” survivor, and with fans also being unsure if Battlefield 2042 was even connected to the old storyline, it did not seem like answers would come. However, the short film Battlefield Exodus not only confirms that the new game and Battlefield 4 are indeed connected, but that there is an official version of Battlefield 4’s ending.
The short film opens with a mysterious hooded figure tracking down some coordinates for a No-Pat, with the mysterious voice eventually revealed to be a terrorist. However, after securing the coordinates, the hooded man recognizes the person they were in a firefight with, as it is none other than Pac from Battlefield 4. The main character then removes their hood, revealing that Irish is still alive and active within the Battlefield universe. While this is initially a surprise, as neither character has been seen since the 2014 game, it becomes an even bigger deal when fans think about what it means for that title’s ending.
With Irish still alive and fighting 22 years after Battlefield 4’s story, fans are given confirmation that he was the one who survived. As such, it was Hannah who made the sacrifice, meaning that she is unlikely to appear as one of Battlefield 2042’s Specialists. Still, the fact that DICE is acknowledging past events from a seven-year-old campaign shows some great attention to detail, especially considering the fact that Battlefield 4’s singleplayer mode was never a massive hit. For those that did play it, and grew attached to Irish, though, seeing him again should be a nice surprise.
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Irish’s Story In Battlefield 2042
Exodus reveals some interesting things about Irish’s story in Battlefield 2042, as the character has given up his role as a marine to become a No-Pat himself. Expanding on his kindness toward refugees in the Battlefield 4 campaign, this decision makes sense with his past character, as does his unwillingness to hurt his former ally Pac. Fans also learn that Irish is a loving father, with the soldier having a lovely talk with his son after a shouting match with Pac.
Following this argument, things quickly go south, with the Exodus ship and its refugees being attacked. After intentionally driving into one of Battlefield 2042’s storms, Irish finds himself in an awful situation where his son is about to be killed. While Pac saves the young boy, he is gunned down by a helicopter for his efforts, leaving Irish to take down the helicopter. He does so, and with his son safe, he gathers as many No-Pat fighters as he can for the coming fight.
Shortly after this intense cinematic was released, DICE confirmed that Irish would be playable in Battlefield 2042. Serving as one of the game’s Specialists, the character has a unique shield that he can deploy as cover. His story may continue to be expanded on in the post-launch Seasons, but for now, Battlefield 4 fans should be happy to know he is alive and well. While this short may have been a bit of a letdown for those that preferred Hannah, at least players finally know which of the two choices is viewed as official by DICE. Plus, with DICE willing to bring back Irish, perhaps more campaign characters like Recker and Blackburn could return as well.
Battlefield 2042 releases October 22 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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