Shortly after launch, Battlefield 2042's seasonal content cycle is beginning to wind up, and cosmetic skins that were inadvertently viewable early highlight a dissonance between the game's narrative and its actual in-game content. Of the upcoming cosmetic items, a Battlefield 2042 Santa Claus skin is being mocked the most by players, but these new cosmetics are just the most visible example of a deep rooted issue that is prevalent throughout the game. Battlefield 2042 takes place in a setting in which nations are collapsing and climate disasters are frequent, yet the tone of the characters and content, and even some gameplay mechanics, don't accurately reflect the dire circumstances.
Going all in on a live-service content model which entirely abandoned any form of single player campaign, Battlefield 2042 has used a variety of methods to build up its setting and a backdrop for the conflict in which players participate. Trailers, in-universe social media posts, and even a short film titled Exodus - starring the late Michael K. Williams as Battlefield's Irish - crafted the fictional near future of 2042 in the lead up to launch. As a result of increasingly severe natural disasters produced by climate change, many countries have entirely collapsed by the year 2042, leading to a population of Non-Patriated individuals numbering in the billions. Fighting over the Earth's dwindling resources, the last two global superpowers of the United States and Russia fight a global proxy war through the use of No-Pat mercenaries.
When booting up Battlefield 2042 for the first time, there is an introductory cutscene which relays this information to players who may have been unaware. The story will likely progress in some fashion as 2042's in-game seasons progress, and there was a lot of potential to create a game which, at least to some degree, broaches important societal issues like climate change, mass migration and displacement, and the exploitation of those in need through militarism, but 2042 has so far shirked its interesting setting with an incredibly nonchalant tone. Battlefield 2042 wasn't expected to deliver some great, impactful narrative, but the characters, gameplay, and now aesthetics tend to seem silly when considered inside of their context.
Battlefield 2042's Specialists Aren't Believable No-Pats
2042 made the controversial decision to abandon the series' signature class structure, and instead put players in control of Specialists which take cues from the popular hero shooter genre. At launch there are 10 Specialists, each with their own personality and unique, in-game ability. Any Specialist can use any combination of weapons, gadget, and throwable, giving 2042 an unparalleled level of load out freedom for the series. The system could certainly be improved with a few changes to the Battlefield 2042 Specialists, but one of the greatest concerns for 2042 is now being realized through the recently added holiday cosmetics. Prior to launch, a commonly held sentiment within the dedicated Battlefield community was a fear that the unique characters borne out of the Specialist system was little more than a vehicle for micro-transactions, and that this would eventually result in skins that undermined the serious backdrop of 2042's setting.
Many hoped that this would be a gradual process - one that many would argue has happened to games like Rainbow Six Siege and Call of Duty: Warzone - with at least the first few batches of new cosmetics remaining militaristic in looks. Unfortunately, the very first content drop for Battlefield 2042 includes skins that are wildly unbelievable for military action. It should go without saying that wearing a bright red Santa Claus coat in combat is incredibly ill-advised. The Battlefield Direct Communication Twitter account claims the developers "presently have no plans to utilize all of [the skins] this Holiday," but this suspiciously sounds like backtracking considering the leaked screenshots from Battlefield Bulletin very clearly show unlock requirements tied to 2042's ongoing preseason.
Regardless of whether or not the skins will actually be used this year, the existence of these skins all but confirms that DICE and EA don't plan on cultivating a believable aesthetic in regards to the Specialists. Their personalities are already far too casual for the in-universe circumstances. Sure, the No-Pats have been hired specifically to kill, and people who sign up for such work might have a certain kind of bravado, but the Specialists' cringe-inducing dialogue is ridiculously game-ified. Battlefield 2042's characters already feel like caricatures of mercenaries disconnected from the collapsing world around them, and now the cosmetics are starting to make them feel even more so.
Battlefield 2042's Maps Have A Very Thin Narrative Veil
The Specialists are just the most immediately obvious example of dissonance between Battlefield 2042's setting and gameplay. The game's maps feel like a half-step in utilizing the rampant natural disasters that were frequently promoted through the trailers' use of tornadoes. These tornadoes happen to be the only extreme weather scenario in the game, which is very disappointing considering the potential. There's a chance for the tornado to show up on Hourglass, which brings a sandstorm with it, but this is the only variation in the game. The climate disasters had a chance to be the successor to the much celebrated Levolution elements from previous Battlefield games, but the novelty of the tornado starts to wear off since its the only dynamic event.
Discarded and Manifest, two maps on the coast, could have had a chance to flood mid-game, completely changing the match's flow. Battlefield 4's Flood Zone was a wonderfully inventive map that demonstrates the variety flooding can bring to the game. Unfortunately 2042 doesn't even have naval vehicles aside from the Battlefield 2042's gravity-defying LCAA Hovercraft, so a waterlogged map isn't even feasible. Breakaway, the map set in the frozen Queen Maud Land region of Antarctica, doesn't even feature a snow storm. The advanced climate change of 2042 would have surely affected the polar ice caps' glaciers, and a crumbling wall of ice could have been a spectacular dynamic event for Breakaway.
Many Battlefield fans had hoped that the series would return to a modern setting after two historical entries in 1 and V. 2042's near-future is the next best thing, giving the developers a two decade removal from present day for some prospective fiction in the world design. Unfortunately the maps hardly utilize the geo-political and environmental frameworks that were constructed for 2042's ongoing live service narrative. There's still hope of the game's setting eventually becoming more involved in the gameplay, but even after all the changes in Battlefield 2042's recent update, fixing the rest of the game's performance issues should be the top priority. The Specialists are just the most noticeable instance of Battlefield 2042's narrative dissonance, and the absurd holiday skins don't inspire much confidence of the game's setting being adequately utilized.
Source: Battlefield Bulletin, Battlefield Direct Communication