Battlefield 2042 is looking like it’s going to be quite the packed multiplayer experience, with three different experiences on offer. There’s going to be the traditional multiplayer, of course, in addition to the recently unveiled Battlefield Portal. The third mode, however, is yet to be unveiled, and all we really know about it is that it’s going to be called Hazard Zone. Some new details on it may have emerged though, thanks to datamining of the Battlefield 2042 closed technical preview done by well-known Battlefield dataminer @temporyal.
It seems like Hazard Zone is going to be a PvPvE mode inspired by games such as Escape from Tarkov and Hunt: Showdown, in which players will be dropped into a map and will be tasked with making it to an extraction point and leaving the map without losing any of their loot, while also fighting enemy players and AI soldiers and bosses. Exploring the map, collecting intel, accruing new rewards and currency, and more will be important elements of the experience. There will also be optional extraction points that players will be able to unlock by completing certain special objectives.
Players will also be able to summon things such as the Ranger or an ATV for aid from certain points on the map, while in terms of progression, there will be tactical upgrade, and currency being used to purchase new weapons, perks, and more. After extraction, players will be able to store their loot and use it in the next match, or have the option to sell it to other players- though of course, if you die before you can get extracted, you’ll lose all of your loot.
It seems the map known as “Orbital” is going to have built-in support for Hazard Zone, though there’s no word yet on whether there will be exclusive Hazard Zone maps in the game as well.
@temporyal’s Battlefield datamining has generally been quite reliable, though it’s worth keeping in mind that there’s every chance that some details that have been datamined might not make it into the final version of the game. DICE has said that it’ll be providing details on Hazard Zone closer to the game’s launch, so hopefully, it won’t be too long before we get official details on what to expect from it.
Battlefield 2042 launches on October 22 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.