Battlefield 2042is going to great lengths to compete withCall of Dutyon a new level. EA DICE’s latest iteration of its online multiplayer shooter is going bigger and flashier than ever, withBattlefield 2042offering 128-player matches and expansive post-launch content support.Battlefield 2042won’t even feature a single-player campaign, to further confirm its focus on robust multiplayer content. ButBattlefield 2042is also taking lessons fromCall of Duty, too, adding one featureCall of Dutyfans are now well familiar with.
It’s not a game-changing feature, by any means, butBattlefield 2042will be implementing third-person executions/finishing moves for the first time in the franchise. This is a feature already used inCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold WarandCall of Duty: Warzone, going back toCall of Duty: Modern Warfare. It’s also used in other online first-person multiplayer games likeApex Legends. In other words, EA DICE is adopting a feature that it believes will makeBattlefield 2042better in a way that other games are already doing.
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For those unfamiliar withthird-person melee executions, they’re very simple. When a player sneaks up on another, they’re able to perform a one-hit attack that instantly kills their foe. In past games, this would be firmed with a basic melee attack – quick and easy. The new feature allows the player to perform an execution, which switches the camera to third-person to execute a cinematic moment with unique animations. It makes the typically perfunctory attack into a scene from an action movie scene.
The unwritten importance of execution animations is that they’re a feature that can be monetized.Electronic Artswill be able to put unique execution animations into its battle passes or sell them in a shop. As such, the decision to implement executions inBattlefield 2042may be less about adding a cool, fun feature and more about adding a new way to monetize the game.
The report about executions inBattlefield 2042comes from DualShockers' Tom Henderson, who has been a reliable source for news about the game. That said, the feature hasnot been officially announced forBattlefield 2042yet. It’s possible the information could be inaccurate or that plans could change.
The addition of third-person animated executions is a small example of howBattlefield 2042is changing with the times. It’s a feature that adds moments of cinematic action to the game, but it also shows howBattlefield 2042is becoming more of alive service product. For some, that change may prove bittersweet.
Battlefield 2042releases October 22 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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