Battlefield 2042 Season 2 is about to get underway. The multiplayer FPS game’s second season, like the first, will add a new map, a new specialist character, and some new weapons and vehicles to unlock on the new seasonal battle pass. Here’s what to expect when Season 2: Master of Arms kicks off August 30.
First up, there’s the new map, Stranded. It’s set around a beached cargo vessel sitting in the bed of a drained Panamanian lake. There’s a helipad on one side of the ship, and plenty of strewn cargo containers and improvised shelters scattered around to provide cover for mid-range firefights.
The ship itself has been converted into a rendezvous point and showroom for a group of black market arms dealers, and that’s where new specialist Charlie Crawford fits in. A former MI6 agent, Crawford has played both sides of the fence in just about every situation he’s found himself in, usually looking for some personal angle to work. He’s a support specialist, and can call in a mounted Vulcan minigun with a ballistic shield, and his trait replenishes allies gadget ammo when he revives them.
Season 2 introduces some new weapons as well. There’s the AM40 assault rifle, a carbine pattern weapon that straddles the line between an AR and SMG. Then there’s the AVANCYS LMG, a machine gun designed for maximum mobility and attachment compatibility. Round this out with the PF51 sidearm, a boxy-looking pistol that sports an extra-large magazine.
Two new vehicles join the Battlefield 2042 motor pool in Season 2. There’s the EBLC-RAM, a heavy, four-seater ground vehicle outfitted with armour, some turreted weapons, and an AMP ability that deflects incoming projectiles when activated. The EBLC-RAM can also deploy a tactical beacon that allows teammates to spawn in on its location.
EA/DICE says that on select maps, you’ll also be able to find the Polaris RZR, a light two-seater buggy that you can tear around in at high speed. It won’t offer much else in terms of protection, so make sure to keep your foot on the gas.
Season 2 will see some additions to Portal as well. Another batch of classic weapons from Battlefield 1941, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and Battlefield 3 is being added, and players will be able to use new ‘extra-small’ combat spaces when designing modes. EA/DICE is also adding a custom conquest preset, so you’ll be able to start with that and make tweaks for new spins on conquest.
Some of the weapons that have heretofore only been available in Portal will be making the jump to All-Out Warfare this season via the Assignments system revealed in the most recent developer stream. Through Assignments, you’ll also be able to unlock content you missed from past seasonal battle passes.
EA/DICE has also revealed that Season 2 will also see the arrival of the reworked version of the Renewal map, so expect more cover and uneven terrain breaking up long sight lines in Egypt sometime next month.