Battlefield 2042 set for delay, reports suggest
UPDATE: DICE makes it official.
UDPATE 9.10pm: DICE has officially confirmed reports of a delay for Battlefield 2042, announcing the game's release will be pushed back by a little over five week due to "unforeseen challenges" related to the ongoing pandemic.
Battlefield 2042 was initially due to launch on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC next month, on 22nd October, but will now arrive on 19th November this year.
"Building the next generation of Battlefield during a global pandemic has created unforeseen challenges for our development teams," DICE wrote in a statement shared on Twitter "Given the scale and scope of the game, we had hoped our teams would be back in our studios together as we move towards launch. With the ongoing conditions not allowing that to happen safely, and with all the hard work the teams are doing from home, we feel it is important to take the extra time to delver on the vision of Battlefield 2042 for our players."
"Your enthusiasm for the game has been very inspiring," the developer concluded in its statement. "We believe in the game we're making, and we thank you for your patience as we put some finishing touches into the experience".
DICE says it will have more to share on Battlefield 2042's open beta later this month.
ORIGINAL STORY 2.29pm: Battlefield 2042's release date looks set to slip back, according to various reports today - although the wait may not be too long.
Word of an imminent delay first emerged from Venturebeat's ever-chatty Jeff Grubb, who alluded to an impending launch of a major game being postponed - before naming Battlefield 2042 via his Discord. Reliable Battlefield insider Tom Henderson then reported he had heard Battlefield 2042 would be delayed "by several weeks and not months" but all of this was still "unfolding" at EA internally.
Officially, the long-awaited next installment in DICE's Battlefield series is still currently set to arrive for PC, PlayStation and Xbox on 22nd October. EA declined to comment on whether this date still stood when contacted by Eurogamer this afternoon.
EA is also still to confirm final dates for Battlefield 2042's open beta, which was previously set for September. There's no word on whether this will also be delayed - but only two weeks of the month now remain.
Whenever it does finally arrive, Battlefield 2042 will be the first new game in DICE's shooter series since 2018's Battlefield 5. It is set to showcase a near-future conflict between the US and Russia after the collapse of the EU - and will also depict the devastating impact of climate change.
You can watch a live-action prequel above starring the late Michael K. Williams, who reprises his role of Kimble "Irish" Graves from Battlefield 4.