Beta Tips, Tricks, and Strategies
The Battlefield 2042 open beta is our first chance to go hands-on with the new Plus System, Call-in system, and more in Conquest and on dynamic map Orbital. On this page, you'll find essential BF 2042 tips and strategies that'll help you get the most out of your time with the beta.
The Battlefield 2042 open beta runs from Oct. 8 to Oct. 10 on PC, Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5 and last-gen PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles. Keep in mind that the beta is running on an older build of the game. This may lead to some players facing issues with stability, visuals and glitches.
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General Tips
Start your beta experience with recommended BF 2042 settings, get a quick introduction to two new helpful systems in this section, and get to know more about four specialists and weapons in this section.
Adjust Your Settings
Before jumping into a game, tweak these settings to give yourself an advantage on the battlefield.
- While it’s personal preference, increasing your FOV allows you to see more of the action on your screen. We recommend setting it to around 80-85, but feel free to mess around with it to your liking.
- Turn motion blur off. It’s an unneeded effect that causes your weapons and the environment around you to get blurry, making it harder to see what’s happening.
- The same goes with chromatic aberration, film grain, vignette and lens distortion. Turn those off.
- Reduce camera shake amount. The lower the setting, the less wobble you’ll see on screen when running, getting shot, witnessing explosions, etc.
- If you're having trouble seeing in darker areas, consider adjusting your in-game brightness.
- Audio plays a crucial role in any game, especially in multiplayer. Tune the audio to the setup you're using. For example, if you're using 3D headphones, make sure the Audio Mix is set to "3D Headphones."
The Plus System
New to the Battlefield series, 2042’s Plus System allows for seamless weapon tuning mid-game without having to open any menus.
To modify your weapon attachments, simply hold down your designated button to access the Plus Menu, and a blue-shaped cross will pop up on your screen. From here, choose what attachments you’d like to include and let go of the button. Your gun will then disappear for a quick second before reappearing with the choices you’ve selected. Easy!
The Call-In System
A welcoming addition, the Call-In System allows you to summon on-land vehicles by having them dropped via parachute if you’re in need of a quick ride. Gone are the days of waiting in the deploy menu in the hopes of grabbing a seat in a tank.
You can also call in a Ranger, a robotic support unit that follows you around and helps aid in battle.
Prepare For Battle
The open beta offers all four Specialists to test out as well as a few pre-unlocked weapons and gadgets to use at your own disposal. Here are some of the highlights.
- Mackay, the Assault Specialist, has a Grappling Hook that allows for some nifty plays. Although the travel distance is short, you can use it to access rooftops of smaller buildings or skip a flight of stairs to gain the upper hand against your opponents.
- Falck, the Medic Specialist, comes equipped with a handy syringe pistol that she can use to heal herself or teammates by shooting them. Missed shots will result in the syringe landing on the ground, allowing teammates and enemies to heal if they run over it. For some fun, the syringe pistol can damage foes if hit directly.
- For the best all-around weapon, try using the M5A3 assault rifle with the Maul Hybrid 1.5-3x sight. The 3x will help you with medium to long-range gunfights while switching to the 1.5x allows for easier close-range combat. By using the Plus System and attaching an Extended Barrel, Cobra Grip and a Standard Issue magazine, you can’t go wrong with this trusty AR.
- If you want to get up close and personal, the K30 (Vector) SMG will down enemies in the blink of an eye due to its high fire rate and above-average handling. Go with the K8 Holo, Extended Mag, Factory Barrel and a Cobra Grip.
- What would a Battlefield game be without sniping? There's only one sniper available in the open beta, but the SWS-10 still packs a punch. Attach it with the 6x scope, Cobra Grip, Standard Issue Mag and most importantly, a suppressor to stay hidden on the map.
- Skip the Medic Crate and opt for an Ammo Crate instead. Your health regens; ammo doesn’t. With the massive scale of Orbital and 64 enemies to fight against, your ammo will run out quickly.
Conquest Basics
A staple in the Battlefield series, Conquest in 2042 now offers up to 128 players in a single match (64 on last-gen consoles). Here's a quick rundown of how the mode works.
- Each team starts out with 1,500 points, also known as tickets. Think of tickets as your team’s resources. The first team to zero loses.
- To drain an enemy team of tickets, kill enemies or take control of sectors.
- Sectors are specific areas around the map that need to be captured and defended to reduce the enemy team's tickets.
- Orbital has six points on the map: Radar Station, Assembly Building, Cryogenic Plant, Crawlerway, Launch Platform and Security Checkpoint.
- Both Cryogenic Plant and Crawlerway have two flags to capture, while the rest have one. The more sectors you hold, the better.
- You can respawn on captured sectors, meaning, you can get back into the action quicker.
Dominate in Orbital
Featuring a rocket that launches into space (or explodes), dynamic weather events and the possibility of a tornado tearing up the map, Orbital is about as interactive of a map as you can get. Here are some tips to help get you started.
- There's a small chance that a tornado will form on the map as the match progresses, wreaking havoc on everything in its path. If you get too close, you'll be lifted off the ground and sucked into its vortex. If the debris doesn't kill you, you can parachute back down.
- At Launch Platform, there's a rocket that lifts off at some point in the game, killing anyone around its engines. Watch out!
- The rocket is also destructible! When the arms that hold the rocket in place start to drop, players will have to do as much damage to the rocket as possible before it takes off. Be warned, you only have a couple of minutes to do so. If successful, the rocket will launch like normal before exploding into pieces. The flying shrapnel will kill you if you're in its way, so be careful.
- Be wary of running out into the open. Orbital has some very open terrain with minimal cover, like the runway between Assembly Building and Launch Platform. Stick to the sides to avoid being an open target.
- Make it a habit to aim for the head. Getting headshots are important in any FPS game, and 2042 is no different. Landing a shot to the dome will result in a lower Time to Kill.
- Stay more stealthy by performing a melee takedown. To do so, sneak behind an enemy and hold the melee button. The camera will switch to a third-person view so you can see your finishing move.
- Keep checking your minimap to gain intel on where the enemy team is. Enemies who don't have a suppressor on their gun will appear as a red dot for a couple of seconds before fading away. Use it to your advantage.
- Vehicles are your friend. With Orbital being bigger than the average Battlefield map to compensate for the larger player count, traveling by foot from one sector to the next is a bit tedious.
- Have a Ranger with you at all times when possible. It's always nice to have some extra firepower.
- You have an infinite amount of deployable parachutes, so don't worry if you cut your chute midair.
- Besides the destructible environment, explosions can leave behind craters in the ground that stay throughout the match. You can use it as cover if you're in a tight situation.
- Avoid moving into enemy sectors alone. You can’t one-man-army into a room full of enemies and expect to come out on top. Work together with your teammates and push together.
- Ping, ping, ping! Identifying the enemy’s location is critical for your team. Aiming at an enemy soldier/vehicle and pinging will result in an icon appearing above them for a couple of seconds, allowing your team to get much-needed intel.
- Watch out for sniper glint. Snipers are more than likely to be found on top of buildings (especially at Assembly Building) and hills to stay hidden. When a sniper is aiming directly at you, you’ll see a shiny glint coming from their position. Take cover immediately.
- If you're downed, don’t respawn immediately. Your teammate can revive you. Call out for help when you’re down to get the attention of a soldier to pick you back up. This will save a ticket for your team.
- Be a team player. Drop med packs or ammo crates for your teammates so they’re ready to get back into the action with you.