Battlefield 2042 has been officially revealed to the world as the next entry in the popular first-person shooter series, its return to modern, or rather near-future, combat also coming with a new spin on how classes are handled, in the shape of the new Specialists system.
The four roles we know and love aren’t going anywhere, and classes from older titles can still be found intact in the Portal game mode, but Battlefield 2042’s Specialists signal a more character-focused approach. Each one has their own backstory alongside an active and passive ability that defines their playstyle. While the two abilities are set in stone, the rest of their loadout is fully customizable.
Battlefield 2042 will be a live-service game and each season will introduce new Specialists. According to the game’s Steam Page, post-launch characters will be available through the Year 1 Pass. At the moment, it’s unclear if players will be able to also purchase characters using some form of currency that can be earned by playing matches.
Battlefield 2042’s Specialists each have a suggested class archetype and are available across all of its three modes but, if you’re looking for classes as you once knew them, you’ll have to stick to the game’s Portal mode. Here are the ones currently available in-game.
Battlefield 2042 Specialists
Webster Mackay
Canadian-born Assault soldier described as a “lone-wolf survivalist”. His Grappling Hook attaches to surfaces, pulling him towards them and letting him more easily navigate the environment. Nimble, his passive ability, lets him move faster while aiming down sights and using ziplines.
Maria Falck
Veteran Support in search of her son, David. Her S21 Syrette Pistol lets her fire a syringe that heals allies and damages enemies at range. Combat Surgeon, her passive ability, allows her to revive allies with full health.
Pyotr "Boris" Guskovsky
Russian-born Engineer seeking to rise above the chaos in the world, while gaining power and control. His SG-36 Sentry Gun automatically engages enemies in an area. His Sentry Operator passive spots enemies that his Sentry Gun locks on to while making it more effective.
Wikus "Casper" Van Daele
Recon and loner fighting for a better world. His OV-P Recon Drone spots nearby moving targets, uses EMP blasts to disorient foes, and tags targets for weapons with lock-on capabilities. His passive, Movement Sensor, reveals the positions of nearby enemies both when he’s on foot and controlling the drone.
Kimble “Irish” Graves
Former US Marine, who fans of the series will remember from Battlefield 4, turned No-Pat Engineer that excels at protecting his squad and fortifying positions. To this extent, he uses a Fortification System made up of the DC-2 Deployable Cover that shields from bullets and explosives, alongside the APS-36 Shootdown Sentinel that eliminates explosive projectiles coming your way. His Veteran passive then provides additional armor.
Navin Rao
Technically-minded Recon who gained experience in the Indian Armed Forces, Navin Rao’s Cyber Warfare Suite ability scrambles enemy vehicle systems, disables Rangers, and triggers enemy defenses from a distance. His Trojan Network ability allows him to reveal enemies after downing a hacked opponent.
Santiago "Dozer" Espinoza
Born in Mexico, Dozer’s tumultuous life has led to him joining No-Pat forces as an Assault Specialist. He wields an SOB-8 Ballistic Shield, which he can use as a battering ram, means of protection against enemy fire, and a tool to get closer to enemies. On top of that, he’s also more resistant to explosive damage than his peers.
Emma "Sundance" Rosier
Hailing from France, Sundance has known both the life of a criminal and that of a model soldier. She is an Assault Specialist with access to rechargeable smart explosives, from scatter to anti-tank, and EMP grenades, that easily blow up targets. She’s also not bad with mobility, having a Wingsuit that replaces her parachute.
Constantin "Angel" Anghel
Romanian-born Angel served in the navy before lending his expertise to No-Pat forces as a Support Specialist. His Loadout Crate ability enables him to supply his squad with both armor and ammo but also summon a beacon that allows him for swapping loadouts. His Trauma Specialist ability allows him to revive allies with their bonus armor filled up, rendering them ready to quickly get back into the action.
Ji-Soo Paik
Ji-Soo Paik is a Recon who specializes in covert infiltration, her EMG-X Scanner ability making enemies visible even through cover, which sounds a little bit like a wallhack. Her other ability, Acquisition, allows her to spot enemies who damage her.
BF2042 Portal Classes - Battlefield 1942
Although Battlefield 1942’s classes have distinct models for the three available factions (US, UK, and German), they share traits, essentially boiling down to five potential picks.
Battlefield 1942 Assault
Wields assault rifles, doesn’t come with gadgets, but its Heightened Senses perk reveals nearby enemy soldiers on the minimap for the entire squad.
Battlefield 1942 Medic
Wields SMGs, comes equipped with the medkit gadget that heals nearby soldiers, while its Surplus perk allows up to three medkits to be deployed at a time.
Battlefield 1942 Engineer
Wields semi-auto or bolt-action rifles, comes equipped with a wrench that repairs allied and neutral vehicles but damages enemy ones, while its Minesweeper perk allows it to spot nearby enemy gadgets.
Battlefield 1942 Anti-Tank
Wields a rocket launcher, has no gadgets, but the Resourceful perk allows it to passively resupply launcher ammo over time.
Battlefield 1942 Scout
Equipped with sniper rifles, its Binoculars allow it to spot enemies, highlighting them in red. The Counter Recon perk reveals enemies who damage Scouts on the minimap.
BF2042 Portal Classes - Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Battlefield: Bad Company 2’s classes have distinct models for its two available factions, but they share traits, essentially boiling down to four potential picks that also have access to a set of shared weapons.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Assault
Mainly wields assault rifles, has an ammo box that resupplies ammo and gadgets for nearby teammates, while its Grenade Vest perk increases the number of throwable grenades it can carry by one while doubling available underbarrel grenade launcher ammo.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Medic
Primarily wields LMGs, comes equipped with the medkit gadget that heals nearby soldiers, while its Medkit Improved Range perk does what it says on the tin, doubling the effective range of medkits.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Engineer
Mainly wields SMGs, comes equipped with a Repair Tool that repairs allied and neutral vehicles but damages enemy ones, while its Explosive Leg Pouch perk doubles the number of carried explosive gadgets, minus grenades.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Recon
Equipped with sniper rifles, its Motion Sensor grenades allow it to show enemies within their range on the minimap. The Sniper Spotting Scope perk automatically spots enemies inside the view of scopes of at least 5x magnification.
BF2042 Portal Classes - Battlefield 3
Battlefield 3’s classes also have distinct models for its two available factions, but they share traits, essentially boiling down to four potential picks that also have access to a set of shared weapons.
Battlefield 3 Assault
Mainly wields assault rifles, has a medkit box that heals nearby teammates, while its Frag perk increases the number of throwable grenades it can carry by one while doubling available underbarrel grenade launcher ammo.
Battlefield 3 Engineer
Mainly wields SMGs, comes equipped with a Repair Tool that repairs allied and neutral vehicles but damages enemy ones, while its Flak perk increases resistance to explosive splash damage.
Battlefield 3 Support
Primarily wields LMGs, comes equipped with an ammo box that resupplies ammo and gadgets for nearby soldiers, while its Sprint perk increases sprint speed.
Battlefield 3 Recon
Equipped with sniper rifles, its T-UGS gadget reveals nearby enemies on the minimap. Its Ammo perk doubles the amount of primary and secondary ammo carried.
Battlefield 2042 is due out on November 19 and headed to PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, and PS4. Check out the full list of weapons and maps.
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