Battlefield 2042 offered a more personal look at its near-future setting in the Exodus short film, which connects to Battlefield 4 with its main character, Kimble "Irish" Graves. Irish is portrayed by Michael Kenneth Williams, perhaps best known for his role as Omar Little in The Wire. As captain of the Exodus, Irish is charged with protecting his crew of Non-Patriated people. Irish himself has left the US Marines - which he was a member of in BF4 - to fight for the cause of the N0-Pats as a Specialist, making him the fifth playable character revealed for Battlefield 2042.
In a new approach for the series, 2042 has done away with the traditional class structure of past titles. Instead players will play as unique Specialists, who have their own specialized traits and abilities. Each specialist still broadly conforms to the classes of past Battlefield games, though. For instance, Irish is considered an Engineer. The move to Specialists seems poised to give players more freedom of choice in their load out, with an example being that any 2042 Specialist can equip a rocket launcher.
With this in mind, each Specialist will only be differentiated by their unique abilities and their appearance. Michael Kenneth Williams' likeness will be all over the battlefield in 2042, seeing as he'll be one of 10 Specialists in the game on launch. More Specialists are expected to come to 2042 post-launch, since the game will be adopting a live-service model, releasing seasonal content. The remaining five Specialists are expected to be revealed in the coming weeks between now and Battlefield 2042's October 22 release date.
Kimble "Irish" Graves As A Battlefield 2042 Specialist
Irish's abilities in Battlefield 2042 follow along the lines of how his character is utilized in the game's continuous narrative. Events in Battlefield 4 made Irish sympathetic to the hardships of refugees, and he will similarly play a supporting role in the gameplay of 2042. Irish's special abilities include two Fortification Systems, according to EA. Players will be able to use the DCS Deployable Cover and APS-36 Shootdown Sentinel. The DCS Deployable Cover is important for Irish's proclivity for "fortifying positions on the battlefield," while the APS-36 Shootdown Sentinel will act as a trophy system by destroying incoming enemy explosives.
In addition to "creating small outposts with which others can use as a rallying point," Irish also has a trait called Veteran, which provides him with additional armor. His description says that Veteran has "additional bonuses from downed enemies," but there are no details that provide elaboration. Irish's ability to deploy cover and withstand enemy fire will make him instrumental in defending objectives, and might make him an interesting Specialist to use in Battlefield Portal. Battlefield 2042 has spent a significant amount of time forming its fictional game world, and adding the Exodus main character to the roster of Specialists adds some tangible depth to the narrative.
Source: Electronic Arts