Battlefield 2042 cross-play, cross-progression confirmed, beta test delayed

Battlefield 2042 will include cross-platform play between PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X, developer DICE and publisher Electronic Arts confirmed Wednesday. Players on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One platforms will also be able to play against each other, but given the maximum player-count difference (64 players vs. 128 players) between last-gen and current-gen consoles, cross-generation play will not be included in this year’s Battlefield.

In a blog post, DICE also confirmed that players on PC and consoles can opt out of playing against each other, addressing concerns about skill differences between mouse and keyboard and gamepad players.

DICE says it will test out cross-play functionality during Battlefield 2042’s technical play test, which was scheduled to go live sometime in July, but has since been delayed to “later this summer.”

Players who expect to play across multiple platforms also got some good news today: DICE says it’s building cross-progression and cross-commerce for Battlefield 2042, which will be shared across all platforms. “Your unlocked progress and purchases in your PlayStation copy of the game will carry over onto the Xbox or PC version, and vice versa,” DICE said.

More details about Battlefield 2042’s gameplay changes are available at the game’s official website.

Battlefield 2042 was unveiled in June, promising massive maps for up to 128 players, real-time destructive weather, and near-future weapons of war. At E3 2024, EA and DICE showed off gameplay from the first-person shooter. Battlefield 2042 is bound for PS4, PS5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X on Oct. 22.