Preloads for the Battlefield 2042 beta have officially gone live on all platforms, including Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. Players can fully download and install the beta ahead of its incoming launch, with two sessions, first exclusive to preorders on Oct. 6, later followed by general public availability on Oct. 8.
Fans can begin downloading the beta build by finding the Battlefield 2042 beta on their platform's store and selecting the Download button. Note that since the Battlefield 2042 beta download has a size of 20GB, it's a good idea to preload the game now so that you can jump right into the action when access to the build opens and don't have to wait for the installation to complete. You can find the Battlefield 2042 beta start time and dates in our dedicated schedule.
In terms of what to expect from the beta, players will be able to try out Battlefield's traditional objective mode, Conquest, on the Orbital map. Orbital is characterized by a large central rocket launch site surrounded by both wide open areas perfect for vehicular play and small, infantry-focused locations. Compared to previous Battlefield titles that had 32v32 servers, Battlefield 2042 increases the max player count to 128. This means that each team will have 64 players, which is the biggest that any Battlefield has ever been. Note that on last-gen consoles like the Xbox One and PS4, matches will be limited to 64 total players.
Other new features in Battlefield 2042 that we expect will debut in the beta include the game's plus system and vehicle drop system. The former allows players to swap out weapon attachments in the middle of gameplay, while the latter gives players the ability to air drop vehicles to their location. These additions are pretty exciting, and overall, there's a good chance that Battlefield 2042 could end up being one of the best Xbox shooters available.
Battlefield 2042 is slated to launch on Nov. 19, 2021 on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One consoles, PS4, PS5, and PC. Battlefield 2042 preorders are available now, and preordering gives you early access to the beta from Oct. 6-7.
Battlefield goes back to the future
Battlefield 2042 debuts Electronic Arts' next-generation vision for the military shooter, supporting up to 128 players, the largest-ever maps, devastatingly destructive weather systems, and more.
