Battlefield 2042 PS5 PlayStation 5 1

If you were holding out hope for a single player campaign in Battlefield 2042, then don’t. EA has announced – alongside the reveal of the online shooter earlier today – that this release is all about its multiplayer. Justifying the decision in an interview with Eurogamer.net, design director Daniel Berlin effectively explained that developer DICE is sharpening its efforts around what it does best.

He explained: “If you look at the DNA of the studio, what we've been doing for so long, we just said you know what, we're not going to have a traditional single-player campaign this time around, but we're going to put all that emphasis and all those resources into building depth into the multiplayer. Because that is what we do best.”

To be fair, recent Battlefield games have had campaigns, but they’ve been nothing to write home about – after all, the overwhelming majority of fans are buying the game for multiplayer. Popular modes like Conquest and Breakthrough will return, alongside a new squad-based mode named Hazard Zone. There’ll also be a third gameplay option that the team’s keeping under wraps for now.

It’s worth adding that if you’re playing on PlayStation 4, you’ll be engaging in much smaller battles on reduced map sizes. While the PS5 release will be able to support up to 128 players, the last-gen version will only manage 64 players. Next-gen owners will pay for the privilege, however: the game will cost £69.99/$69.99 on PS5, and there’ll only be a free PS4 to PS5 upgrade for those who buy the pricey Gold Edition.

Has the lack of a campaign put you off, or do you only come to Battlefield for multiplayer? Fight back in the comments section below.