Summary
Battlefield 2042has recently been putting in a lot of work to try and distance itself from the negative reputation it developed due to its problematic launch in 2021. The unusually bare-bones nature of the title saw it quickly lose huge portions of its player base shortly after releasing, but consistent post-launch content updates are beginning to turn these tides for the better.
The past month or so has done wonders forBattlefield 2042in this way, with a jam-packed new update and free-to-play weekends seeing the title’s popularity skyrocket, being much more reflective of what success aBattlefieldtitle should be attaining. This newfound popularity has only been boosted by recent additions to2042’s map pool, and the brand-new Redacted map is up there with some of the most high-octaneBattlefieldexperiences of all time.
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Battlefield 2042’s Redacted Map: An Ode To Past Operations
October 10 saw the introduction ofBattlefield 2042’s sixth in-game season, being officially billed as Season 6: Dark Creations. This update introduced a lot of welcome improvements toBattlefield 2042, but it was the addition of the Redacted map that really captured the attention of players. Alongside Redacted,Battlefield 2042’s Season 6 has introduced the following content:
Redacted really leans intothe close-quarters combat thatBattlefieldcan foster, moving away from the much more open experiences that the IP often explores. WhileBattlefieldexcels at open maps with land, air, and even naval combat, the franchise is surprisingly suited for the chaos of restricted and tight engagements. Redacted is an infantry-only experience with no vehicles, taking place within a remote underground Scottish research facility that really leans into the game’s semi-futuristic setting.
DICE has been very transparent with the role that Operation Metro and Operation Locker played in the development of Redacted. These past Operations appeared inBattlefield 3andBattlefield 4respectively, both being renowned for their bold close-quarters approach to more linear combat. Metro and Locker became defining maps for the IP, withBattlefield 5even paying homage to them with its own Operation Underground.
Moving away from the cinematic aerial dogfights andmassive open landscapes of traditionalBattlefieldmaps, experiences like Metro and Locker opened up a whole new world of gameplay for the franchise. This is something thatBattlefield 2042sorely missed prior tor Season 6 and Redacted, only adding to past criticisms of the release not possessing the usual content of past installments to the IP.
Operation Metro and Operation Locker were so popular that 24/7 servers for both maps could be found regularly in BF3 and BF4, meaning that any similar maps are likely to be received well.
In the official communications regarding Redacted, DICE likened the new map to an evolution of Metro and Locker, maintaining the tight corridors and frantic chaos of past maps while making improvements to the flanking and escape possibilities within them. It is clear that a lot of respect has been given to Metro and Locker within Redacted, and fans of the past experiences will be right at home in the freshly added map. Not only does Redacted bring2042add a fantastic new angle for play-styles and tactics, but it crucially brings the once-struggling title up to speed with some of the most iconic gameplay experiences inBattlefieldhistory.
