We are now days out from the official launch of Battlefield 2042 with those who purchased the Gold or Ultimate editions playing via early access.
However, it has been quickly discovered that the latest game in EA DICE’s flagship shooter franchise is missing a key feature – voice chat.
One early review of the game – via The Washington Post – picked up on this unusual omission. Reviewer Mike Hume explains that there is no Battlefield 2042 voice chat – so, no in-game option to hop on a mic and speaking with your teammates.
“Yes, you read that correctly: “Battlefield 2042″ will launch lacking an industry-standard feature for multiplayer first-person shooter titles,” he writes, adding an explanation provided by DICE.
During a media Q&A this week, the developers said they found most people use party chat via Discord or through Xbox and PlayStation party making and that it would be looking to add voice chat “shortly after launch to help with this.”
It’s unclear when Battlefield 2042 voice chat will be added, though according to the developer’s road map, we could be looking at “Day 25” after launch, almost a month after release date.
We’re currently playing our way through Battlefield 2042 here at TheSixthAxis and although having zero voice comms sounds like a negative, I’d be hard pressed to tell you the last time I chatted with randoms while playing an online shooter.
Instead, DICE have implemented an evolved ping system somewhat similar to Apex Legends. We have no stats to hand, though would hazard a guess that the majority of BF players don’t bother with voice chat at all. Having a non-verbal way of setting objectives and strategizing with squad mates sounds good on paper though we’ve yet to put the ping system through its paces.
Battlefield 2042 will have its full launch on November 19th and will release on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC with full cross-platform play. EA is offering a season pass to hardcore fans, promising four seasons of upcoming along with new maps, modes, and playable specialists.
