After Battlefield 2042 Update #3 went live, upcoming weekly challenges and their rewards were reportedly revealed early before being removed - but not before players could capture screenshots of a variety of holiday-themed skins, including a Santa Claus specialist skin being mocked online. Criticisms since launch have primarily focused on the multiplayer-only game's technical issues and perceived lack of polish, but community frustrations have also been directed at Battlefield 2042's specialists and removal of classes.
Publisher EA and developer DICE took a different direction with Battlefield 2042 compared to the series' past, which has normally featured customizable classes with exclusive equipment (such as med kits, ammo boxes, and spotter scopes) to encourage teamplay among squads. In Battlefield 2042, players select Call of Duty operator-esque specialists, who have fixed names, nationalities, and abilities, and broader customization has replaced classes entirely. The game lacks a single-player campaign, but the multiplayer is set in a climate crisis-stricken world of refugees and expatriated soldiers fighting for resources and safety. This means any specialist can fight for the USA or Russian Federation, and less grounded skins and Battlefield 2042 specialists' in-game quips have marked another departure from the series' tone.
Though weekly challenges aren't currently live in Battlefield 2042, Twitter news source Battlefield Bulletin shows challenges and their rewards were evidently viewable when Update #3 first rolled out on Thursday. In addition to a Mackay "Great Outdoors" skin outfitting the specialist in a flannel shirt and cowboy hat and an Apache Warchief "Grin Reaper" helicopter skin, completing challenges will also evidently unlock some holiday-themed cosmetics. These include festive, reindeer-adorned skins for the M1A5 tank and Nightbird helicopter and the "Father Winter" skin for Boris, which dresses the specialist in Santa Claus robes.
Online reactions to Battlefield 2042's Santa Claus skin have been more naughty than nice, with posts taking shots at the Boris cosmetic gaining popularity on Twitter and Reddit. Many have expressed their general disappointment at seeing "wacky" Battlefield skins so early into the game's lifespan, while others have compared the Santa skin to Fortnite and the Heavy's own Santa suit from Team Fortress 2.
While these weekly challenges and rewards have yet to reappear in the game, other Battlefield 2042 Update #3 changes are now live for all platforms. The full changelog is exceptionally long and addresses issues in all corners of the game, including All-Out Warfare, Hazard Zone, and Battlefield Portal, but no specific mention of performance improvements was made in the patch notes. Another weekend of multiplayer matches should put any tweaks or additions (named or otherwise) to the test, however. What may take more time to gauge will likely be the popularity of skins like the leaked ones shown for Mackay and Boris, as their respective weekly challenges will first need to be made publicly available.
After enjoying high player counts at release, that has reportedly become another area of probable concern for EA and DICE in the weeks since release. Battlefield 2042 Steam player counts are down considerably, so introducing more player incentives like challenge rewards and fixing what has been discovered to be broken are presumably top concerns for the game's immediate future.
Battlefield 2042 is available for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Source: BFBulletin/Twitter