Battlefield 2042‘s Beta ended last week and with it came a fair amount of both criticism and praise. It seems with this year’s edition, Battlefield is diving headfirst into a futuristic setting, and with that comes the huge increase and speed and over-the-top gameplay that the series has classically stayed away from. To differentiate itself from the battle royale craze, Battlefield 2042 is going to utilize a bunch of different modes that make up its multiplayer experience. One of the most intriguing modes we now know about is Hazard mode. Here’s how Hazard Mode works in Battlefield 2042.
How Hazard Mode Works in Battlefield 2042
Hazard mode can support up to 32 players and will involve teams of 4. Once your team is set your mission will no longer be to kill all the other players on the map, but rather to collect intel from downed satellites throughout the game. This sounds basic, but things get a little more tricky when you consider that guarding these satellites will be computer controller AI enemies. These won’t be pushovers too as they’ll be fighting hard to defend that intel. During the match, after you’ve collected the intel, you have the option to seek out an escape route. While you won’t win the game doing this, you will gather valuable experience and Dark Market credits that can then be used in the next round to gather valuable equipment.
This begins the interesting dynamic given in the game because if you choose to stay, then you can actually win the round by collecting the most intel. The downside to this is most teams will be doing this as well and at this point, you only have one escape route which means all teams will be converging on the same point before the timer runs out. Add to this the presence of AI enemies and you have a recipe for an absolutely chaotic firefight coming out.
Strategy for this mode seems very involved and goes far beyond just what weapon you should bring. Specialists make a huge difference in Battlefield 2042 and you need to decide whether you want your team decked out in grappling hooks or do you want them having medkits and rocket launchers for when a situation gets overwhelming?
Ultimately, this mode looks to be Battlefield 2042’s more sophisticated answer to the battle royale modes that its competitors in the genre have. We will find out soon enough if this mode will have the type of juice that battle royales have, but it’s an intriguing start.
Battlefield 2042 is available November 19th, 2021 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
