While Battlefield 2042 is getting better with each update (or at least closer to the game it could and should have been at launch), there’s one thing that has annoyed a lot of long-time players ever since its release and continues to do so: Specialists, a bunch of “hero” characters designed to replace the old “class” system.
Rather than let players choose from a nondescript grunt with an assigned role—assault, engineer, recon, etc—2042 brought in cocky characters instead, each with their own gadgets and unique skills. It is kinda the same idea, only expressed with some more flexibility and personality, but loads of fans hate it. If not for their annoying catchphrases—which have been toned down—then for the fact you can never tell at a glance what kind of gear your teammates (or opponents) will be packing.
DICE were made very aware of this very quickly, which is why they announced back in August 2022 that development on the game was basically going back to the drawing board, and that a lot of stuff that had been cut or changed for 2042 was going to be brought more in-line with what the series was known for.
The most important of those changes was a reversion to the “class” system, which is finally on the way in the game’s 3.2 update that is out later this month. While it won’t go as far as many fans would like—it doesn’t ditch the Specialists entirely, just rearranges their gear and lumps them into classes—it will at least bring the same spirit.
I’m glad DICE is doing something about this, because the louder fans were right, the game has been a little lacking without what the devs call a “sense of role”, but as someone whose favourite Specialist (Mackay) is about to lose access to my favourite gadget (SOFLAM) as part of the class rearrangement, I want to try the new setup out myself before getting too excited.
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If you want to read more specifics on how the class system will affect loadouts and gadgets, beyond me just using this platform to make a personal complaint, you can check it out on DICE’s blog.
