After multiple years worth of rumors and reports, DICE finally revealed the latest entry in their large-scale warfare series back in June with the first trailer for Battlefield 2042, which was followed mere days later by its gameplay debut at Microsoft’s E3 press conference. One of the rare Battlefield entries that won’t be set in a historical or modern era, Battlefield 2042 also planned to switch things up by foregoing the traditional singleplayer campaign, much like Call of Duty did with Black Ops 4 back in 2018. Instead, each of the three core modes will be multiplayer-only, with none of them playing out like a traditional battle royale, despite Criterion Games attempting to introduce the ever-popular mode to the series with Firestorm arriving after the release of Battlefield V. With just over a month until Battlefield 2042 fires the first shot in the FPS showdown between itself, Call of Duty: Vanguard and Halo Infinite, here’s a deeper look at what each of the core multiplayer offerings bring back and introduce to the acclaimed series.

All-Out Warfare

It wouldn’t be a proper Battlefield game without some of the franchise’s staple modes, and two of them will be featured as part of the All-Out Warfare section, Conquest and Breakthrough. Conquest represents the mode most traditionally associated with the series, as up to 64 players on PS4 and Xbox One and up to 128 players on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC fight to capture control points in huge sandbox areas. Unlike past Battlefield games where these giant maps only featured a few flags to fight for, 2042 has introduced sectors that house multiple control points, leaving more opportunities for the losing side to find a path to victory. Meanwhile, Breakthrough pits Attackers and Defenders against one another with the former attempting to push past enemy defenses and capture control points while the latter must hold the line. Both of these modes will play out across seven new maps, which each feature dynamic weather and world events such as giant sandstorms and falling structures that will keep players on their toes.

Battlefield Portal

Originally introduced at the latest EA Play back in July, Portal represents the community-driven mode of Battlefield 2042 and looks back to the series’ lengthy history of iconic maps, weapons and vehicles. This mode will allow players to create and partake in unique and customizable experiences that draw from classic Battlefield games 1942, Bad Company 2 and 3, as well as the new offerings of 2042. Whether players want to introduce futuristic technology to World War II-era maps, or restrict players to fighting it out with knives and defibrillators, the possibilities of Portal seem staggering, and will likely only continue to grow in the months after launch. Plus, no matter which mode players are fond of, progression will be shared across everything Battlefield 2042 has to offer, so players can continue to rank up in these less traditional battles. With all of this creative freedom, Portal could end up being the sleeper hit of 2042, as players gradually familiarize themselves with the Builder and encounter new experiences.

Hazard Zone

Even as 2042 nears its launch, DICE has continued to remain quiet on exactly what Hazard Zone entails. The developer has shared that the mode will be squad-based and will take advantage of 2042’s large-scale sandboxes to provide a unique approach to Battlefield gameplay. While this vague description does make it sound like another battle royale, DICE has insisted that this is simply not the case, and until more details are shared on this new mode, players will simply have to take their word for it. EA has previously promised an open beta for the game ahead of its launch, so it seems likely that fans will finally get a peek at Hazard Zone at or before the early access playtest gets underway in the coming weeks. With both Call of Duty and Halo allowing some or all of their multiplayer offerings to be free-to-play, it might not be too surprising to see this mode get a similar treatment if Battlefield wants to entice a larger audience outside of those willing to pay for a full-priced game.

Battlefield 2042 is set to launch on October 22 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, PS4 and Xbox One.