Battlefield 2042 will be releasing Update 4.1, which will formally drop its 128-player “Breakthrough” mode, but is only available now on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. The patch notes are long, explaining why DICE has decided to remove the game’s 128-player mode from Battlefield 2042 (the 128-player Conquest mode remains intact). In the next update for Battlefield 2042, v4.1, DICE has decided to remove the version of Breakthrough which supported a total of 128 players, instead choosing to keep 64 players going forward.
It seems halving the number of players on the Breakthrough mode is just the start of the changes coming to Battlefield 2042, with a recent poll sent out to players asking their opinions about new features. DICE and EA continued efforts to enhance Battlefield 2042s gameplay, taking out one of the 128-player modes in order to be more tactical. EA announced it will remove the Battlefield 2042s 128-player “Breakthrough” multiplayer mode from PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, and stick with a version that has a count of 64 players. Alongside the normal balance changes you might expect with a large patch, one of the major decisions made by DICE seemed puzzling for fans, and that was to eliminate one of the 128-player modes.
DICE is removing 128 player Breakthrough mode from Battlefield 2042.
Instead, it will be 64 players.
This will be live with the update on May 19. pic.twitter.com/8EekTwWeeV
— Battlefield News (@bravoINTEL) May 18, 2022
DICE explained what was chosen in a patch note, saying DICE felt the 64-player mode offered more tactical experiences, instead of the mayhem caused in the 128-player versions. “We felt in an earlier release of Breakthrough, that each player’s and team’s values and impact were diminished by the increased intensity and chaos of the battle. Reducing the DICEs player count here helps remove some of the chaos from the experience, and combined with the cuts that we made in terms of available battle vehicles, means players are more effective at holding frontlines”.
While the removal means some maps (Hourglass, Breakaway, Renewal) will now be only accessible on certain maps (the smaller 64-player Hourglass versions), other maps (Discard, Manifest, Orbital, Kaleidoscope) will continue to be accessible on the larger 128-player versions, presumably in order to space players better. In addition to removals, Battlefield 2042 will also see changes made to certain maps on 128-player “Breakthrough” versions for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X. Discarded, Manifest, Orbital, and Kaleidoscope will be played in 128-player versions, whereas Hourglass, Breakaway, and Renewal will be resized in 64-player versions. Battlefield 2042 has received many content updates hoping to re-ignite the player’s interest, and the latest 4.1 update is no different.
