'Battlefield 2042' Is Bringing Back A Long Forgotten Feature

Not much else is known about “Battlefield 2042” other than its setting and a couple of new features, but EA and DICE have recently shared a few more tidbits of information about the game, including a hint at one feature from the older “Battlefield” games that’s going to be making a comeback.

In the “Welcome to 2042” post on EA’s forums, the developers went into more detail regarding the new gameplay elements showcased in the recently released trailers, including more information regarding maps, Specialists, weapons and more. What’s particularly eye catching is the inclusion of AI soldiers to the game’s main multiplayer modes.

“Battlefield 2042” is going to feature the largest battles in the series’ history. Map sizes across the board have been increased to accommodate the game’s new 128-player game modes and while the larger scale is an amazing new feature, it also creates problems for server population.

To make sure that every server is active regardless of actual player counts, the developers have decided to bring back AI-controlled soldiers, a feature that has been absent from every “Battlefield” game since “Battlefield 2142.”

The bots will occupy empty server spots in lieu of actual players and, if the older “Battlefield” games are anything to go by, they will be able to pilot vehicles and operate much of the game’s other mechanics as well.

Furthermore, Co-op and Solo game modes will also be added to “2042.” This all but confirms the return of the Instant Action game mode from the earlier games in the series, which is something that many old fans have been wanting for years now.

Bots will be available for the Conquest and Breakthrough game modes. It is assumed that the still-unknown Hazard Zone mode will be a pure PvP experience.

The post didn’t specify any limitations to the AI-controlled soldiers. Balancing bots has always been challenging and having over 100 AI soldiers running around a map is bound to cause some performance issues.

The developers have not yet gone into detail as to how the game’s AI works, but more information about “Battlefield 2042” is expected to drop at EA Play on July 22.