There's something about these soldiers that looks oddly familiar.
Electronic Arts has dropped a new trailer showcasing four of Battlefield 2042's specialists in action: The scout, the medic, the heavy, and the sniper.
Yes, those are actually Team Fortress 2 classes, but to my eye they're applicable here as well. We already knew the basics about these characters, but there's something about watching them run around guns blazing that really drives it home.
The first specialist in the video, Webster Mackay, is fast-moving and lightly armed, with a grappling hook that enables him to get to places others can't reach and the ability to move more quickly while aiming down sights and ziplining.
And I mean, come on.
Next up is Maria Falck, a combat surgeon who can get teammates back on their feet in a hurry and from a distance with her S21 Syrette Pistol, not unlike how the TF2 medic keeps allies alive while hiding around corners.
EA actually nerfed the pistol in the wake of last month's technical test because it too overpowered: Lead community manager Adam Freeman said on Twitter that it was originally intended to revive and heal at range but "was causing a significant enough imbalance in gameplay to warrant making some changes," so the revive was dropped and now it will only heal at range.
A big finding was that Falck's S21 Syrette Pistol was causing a significant enough imbalance in gameplay to warrant making some changes.Previously we shared that Falck's Gadget would Revive, and Heal at Range.Going forward the gadget will simply Heal at Range, and not Revive. pic.twitter.com/FRNGdp7nSxSeptember 3, 2021
Third on the list is Pyotr "Boris" Guskovsky, a Russian who brings a huge-ass gun to the fight: His SG-36 Sentry System automatically targets and engages enemies within range. The Battlefield 2042 specialist page says "his leadership skills may be a bit aggressive to some, [but] there is no denying his skills in the field," which also sounds a bit familiar. And yes, I know Boris may be more of an engineer analog in gameplay terms, but even so you should probably not touch his gun.
Finally, we have Wikus "Casper" Van Daele, who operates a recon drone that disorients enemies with EMP bursts and can designate targets for "lock-on weapons." He also has a movement sensor that alerts him to approaching enemies—very handy for avoiding unpleasant backstabs when he's focused on something else. Van Daele is "the unflappable, calm presence on the Task Force," EA said, and "a master of camouflage and long-range engagement." There's no mention of Jarate, which frankly I'm grateful for.
These are not all the specialists who will appear in the game—there are another five yet to be revealed on the Battlefield 2042 specialists page, and more will be added at a rate of one per season post-release, adding up to 14 in total. We can only hope that an angry Scottish demolitions expert and a suave French espionage agent will appear among their number.
Battlefield 2042 is set to come out on October 22.
