Battlefield 2042 Release Countdown: Latest Patch Notes & Unlock Time


battlefield 2042

No-Pats, it's time to gear up and get ready to drop. EA DICE's futuristic take on modern warfare is almost here - the global launch of Battlefield 2042 is hours away. The Early Access period has been met with a mixed reception, but there's a new Day One Patch that should help tidy things up. Here's everything you need to know.

UPDATE #1 - What we know so far

The first major update for Battlefield 2042 has dropped ahead of the Day One launch - we don't know if this is going to be classed as the Day One Patch, but it's looking likely. EA DICE has shared the full Patch Notes, which you can read below:

  • Implemented Server Side upgrades that are targeted at reducing instances of Rubber Banding, often experienced in the later part of a round in All-Out Warfare modes.
  • Significantly reduced instances of stuttering when playing on Breakaway. If the Silo’s are destroyed, it should no longer reduce performance on the server.
    • A note that we are continuing to investigate similar occurrences that have been reported to us on other maps.
  • When looking at allies on your team, their names will now correctly display.
  • Adjusted the animations for Falck during the End of Round sequence to ensure that she is displayed correctly.
  • Updated a skin earnable for Boris via Mastery Progression with a new name: Gator.
  • Ensured that TDM Rounds in Battlefield Portal always start with Random Deploy set as active. We observed that this sometimes wasn’t active when moving from round to round, but have now fixed this.
  • Applied a set of measures that ensure the correct number of AI spawn in Custom Battlefield Portal modes using the Free for All preset.
  • PC Only - Enabled Specialist Selection in Hazard Zone via mouse interaction, removing the need to lock in your selection with the Spacebar.
  • Fixed a rare occurrence in Hazard Zone that would sometimes cause the End of Round flow to not activate correctly, ensuring that the correct amount of bonus XP was awarded.
  • Repaired an issue found in Hazard Zone that could cause players to be shown on the Map when they were not visible, or spotted.
  • Provided a fix for Hazard Zone players who were not seeing their Extraction Streaks updating correctly.

RELEASE DATE - When does the Standard Edition unlock?

Battlefield 2042's full release date is on November 19th - this is when all you Standard Edition players can jump into the crazy warfare EA DICE has thrown together. We don't know the specific unlock time for Friday's launch - however, we can look at when Early Access unlocked for some clues.

Battlefield 2042 Release
click to enlarge
CHAOS - It's good to be back with Battlefield

Battlefield 2042's Early Access period started at the following times on November 12th:

  • 00:00 PST
  • 03:00 EST
  • 08:00 GMT

We're expecting there to be a similar unlock strategy for those of you still waiting to play. In addition to this, you should be able to preload the Standard Edition of Battlefield 2042 right now - this only applies to digital versions of the game, though.

DOWNLOAD SIZE - How much space do you need?

Battlefield 2042's lack of Campaign might actually be a good thing for those of you with packed hard drives. The game itself isn't as big as you might think. Here's the rough download size for Battlefield 2042 on each platform.

  • Xbox Series X|S ~ 52GB
  • PlayStation 5 ~ 43GB
  • Xbox One ~ 28GB
  • PlayStation 4 ~ 25GB
  • PC ~ 48GB

This is subject to change though. There are expectations that Battlefield 2042 is going to receive a Day One Patch update on November 19th with major Quality of Life improvements and Bug Fixes. We shouldn't expect any new content just yet, but this should help to refine the experience.

MAPS, MODES, AND MORE - Everything else...

Battlefield 2042 is broken into three main experiences - All Out War, Hazard Zone, and Portal.

Battlefield Portal throws together content from Battlefield 2042, Battlefield Bad Company 2, Battlefield 3, and Battlefield 1942 in a mash-up of nostalgia and classic Battlefield gameplay. Here, players can create their own custom game modes with all this content and more - when it's added.

Battlefield 2042's Hazard Zone is a unique take on the Battle Royale genre that tasks Specialists with extracting Data Drives, as opposed to being the last one standing. This is a slower mode that combines stealth and tactical gameplay with explosive action. You only have one life here, so make it count.

The bulk of Battlefield 2042's gameplay is played through All Out War, though. Conquest (a Battlefield classic) and Breakthrough (an Attack and Defend game mode) are both available through this. Here, you can play on one of Battlefield 2042's seven new maps with one of the ten new Specialists. Combine custom weapon and gear loadouts with Specialists and their unique abilities to create a unique tactical experience. There are also tanks, so... It's still Battlefield at its core.

For more articles like this, take a look at our Battlefield and More page.