Battlefield 2042 to get gameplay reveal June 13

After a string of rumours, whispers and leaks EA has finally lifted the veil of the latest Battlefield, seeing the flagship first-person shooter moving away from the historical setting of recent entries to a near-future backdrop - with this year's title subsequently called Battlefield 2042. In a break from recent traditions, it'll also do away with a single-player campaign.

Battlefield 2042 will instead look to double down on what the franchise does best - multiplayer. Offering 128 battles on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S and X, while PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of the game support 64 players.

The action on show in the trailer definitely lent into the spectacular and it also didn't seem to take itself too seriously. At one point, a pilot ejects from his fighter jet, at the limits of inner-space, arms his rocket launcher and fires back on the opponent who had originally bested him.

(Picture: EA)

All-in-all, what we saw was very... expected. Leaks aside, this looks like DICE once again trodding old ground in the hopes of stabilizing a franchise that - while still a big seller - has not quite captured the imagination - at least post-launch - since Battlefield 4, though some would argue earlier.

Whether this trailer marks the start of a redemption arc for the series is far from conclusive but more information from which to weigh that up is expected soon, with DICE planning a gameplay reveal on Sunday, 13th July.

(Picture: EA)

Hardcore fans will be following that with a discerning eye and how the developers set out their stall on Sunday will likely set the tone for the game heading into launch.

What they won't want is a repeat of last year's gameplay reveal for Battlefield V which - by any measure - was a disaster.

After the less-than-impressive Battlefield 1 petered out into relative obscurity, Battlefield V - which saw the action return to its World War 2 roots - seemed a home run. But with more time spent on alternative history scenarios and a developer and publisher seemingly playing to an audience that doesn't really exist, fans of the series were left feeling unloved by the reveal.

(Picture: EA)

DICE and the game's army of fans will hope that Battlefield 2042 opens up a new front for the franchise.