Battlefield 2042 is DICE's largest-scale entry in the franchise yet, but the map featured in the game's open beta, Orbital, might be too big. One of the largest maps in Battlefield history, Orbital is so full of empty space that most firefights are limited to specific conquest objectives, not the lush hills surrounding its rocket launch site.

While not every map in the series' history has aimed to be as massive as possible, Battlefield has generally strived for epic, large-scale warfare, and current-gen hardware has allowed DICE to up Battlefield's traditional 64-player matches to 128 players in Battlefield 2042 on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5. The prospect of an even bigger Battlefield is exciting, but in practice, it can occasionally prove anticlimactic.

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Many players have already encountered a number of issues with Battlefield 2042's months-old beta build - glitches that make navigating Orbital disorienting - but DICE still has plenty of time to iron out the bugs and deliver a polished experience come launch. Ensuring the game's size doesn't feel intimidating, meanwhile, is a different, potentially more difficult issue to address. New features, such as Battlefield 2042's new specialist gadgets and the ability to call in a light vehicle with a simple press of a button, have been implemented to make the bigger maps more navigable, and the addition of a greater number of aircraft should also prevent players from aimlessly wandering around sparser areas. However, the bulk of the action in the beta has taken place only in a few parts of the map, making its size feel pointless.

Orbital Is Impressive But Hints At Battlefield 2042 Gameplay Problems

Known issues with Battlefield 2042's maps

Many Battlefield players will no doubt breathe a sigh of relief that the new map design encourages their teammates to actually play the objective, but the result is nearly always a lot less tactical than in smaller maps. Individual conquest points turn into mini-Operation Metros, with teams lingering on one or two objectives, which can result in meat-grinder gameplay. Firefights at smaller objectives are less chaotic, but the pace of the game often doesn't feel very finely tuned compared to Battlefield 1 or Battlefield V, as there's more running around empty space on the map and less players exploring flanking routes.

Orbital is still an impressive locale with some exciting set piece elements, but Battlefield 2042's emphasis on even larger-scale warfare isn't consistently satisfying to play, despite new features that mitigate downtime between engagements. While DICE will likely refine many elements of Battlefield 2042 before its November release date, attaining the right balance between size and ensuring players are constantly engaged may prove problematic.

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Battlefield 2042 releases on November 19, 2021, for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC.