Beleaguered FPS game Battlefield 2042 is finally ready to enter its first season, with DICE detailing the Battlefield 2042 season 1 battle pass and Battlefield currency system. The developer is quick to state that, “it’s important to us to keep the fight fair for everyone,” saying that spending real-world money “won’t give you any advantages on the battlefield” in the multiplayer game. However, some players are already upset with the ability to directly level up the pass with real money.
The Battlefield 2042 season 1 battle pass has a free tier and a premium tier, with the latter requiring the purchase of a premium battle pass or the year one pass that was provided to owners of the game’s gold and ultimate editions. There are 100 tiers, which are reached by earning XP while playing the game. 30 rewards are included in the free tiers, while the premium pass features something for each of the 100 tiers. A note says that content missed in a season can still be unlocked “at a later stage,” although there is no indication given as to when that might be.
While DICE emphasises that the premium tier is limited to cosmetics and items with no gameplay benefit, players on the game’s subreddit have already pointed out that, because users can spend the premium currency to skip through the tiers without playing, there is an ‘indirect pay-to-win’ element. Players can spend ‘Battlefield currency,’ bought with real money or earned from the battle pass, to more rapidly reach the free tiers which award gameplay elements such as weapons and specialists.
DICE also notes that Battlefield currency (BFC) can also be spent on skins for weapons, vehicles, and specialists in an in-game store which includes discounted bundles on certain items. The developers say the store will be regularly updated with new items, and also provide some slightly shaky reassurance about items remaining available, saying, “Don’t worry about items disappearing after a while; most of the content will remain in the store.”
A recent update to Battlefield 2042 removes the 128-player Breakthrough playlist. While you’re waiting for Battlefield 2042 season 1 to start, we have all the information on the Battlefield Portal creation tool that allows you to build custom modes using elements from the entire series. You can also check out our guide to the Battlefield 2042 specialist skin challenges to learn how to unlock some of the more distinctive character customisations.