Rumors swirled this morning among gaming insiders after Tom Henderson, known for his leaks surrounding the upcoming title, posted on his official Twitter account that he could confirm the news that Battlefield 2042 would be delayed a couple of weeks. EA officially confirmed the news in a press release today, announcing the game would be pushed from its original release date several weeks.
After Battlefield Portal was announced during the EA Play Live showcase, news about the highly anticipated shooter returning to its modern warfare roots have been few. In the press release, DICE Studio GM Oskar Gabrielson detailed why the team decided to push back the game:
Building the next generation of Battlefield during a global pandemic has created unforeseen challenges for our development teams. Given the scale and scope of the game, we had hoped our teams would be back in our studios together as we move towards launch. With the ongoing conditions not allowing that to happen safely, and with all the hard work the teams are doing from home, we feel it is important to take the extra time to deliver on the vision of Battlefield 2042 for our players.
Gabrielson went on to say the fans' enthusiasm toward the game inspired the team to continue putting "the final touches" to the experience. Battlefield 2042 is not the only game this year to get delayed because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. God of War: Ragnarok, which was recently given an official title during the PlayStation showcase, was delayed back in June of this year to a tentative 2022 release for the team's wellbeing.
DICE promised more news later this month about the upcoming beta for the game, which Tom Henderson and other industry insiders have claimed is on September 22. Players who pre-order the game get early access to the beta. Battlefield 2042 will be a multiplayer-only title and launch with seven maps for 128 player matches. However, the story will continue in the still-mysterious Hazard Mode. Michael K. Williams, the actor who played iconic roles such as Omar in The Wire and recently passed away, reprised his role of Kimble "Irish" Graves for the upcoming game and had starred in a short film revealing details about the world's narrative.
Battlefield 2042 now releases on November 19 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC.