Battlefield 2042 Season 1: Zero Hour Revealed; New Map, Specialist, Weapons, Vehicles And More Coming

DICE has announced Battlefield 2042 Season 1: Zero Hour, beginning June 9 on PS5, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC.

The first major content drop for 2042 since launch, Zero Hour is set to introduce a new map, a new specialist, two new vehicles, two new weapons, a new gadget, a cosmetic-based battle pass and a number of updates to Battlefield Portal. Aside from an optional premium tier for the battle pass that focuses on cosmetics, this content will be completely free to all players, though it’ll still need to be unlocked from within the free battle pass.

The new map, Exposure, is set in the Canadian Rockies and it features highly-vertical landscapes that cultivate both infantry combat and ground-to-air firefights. The new map’s sheer cliffs and deep valleys will be an attractive sight for players who enjoy jumping in a helicopter or jet, though they may see some resistance from tanks and infantry braving the mountain edge. A secret facility can also be found within the mountain, providing those on foot with tight corridors and cover-ridden open spaces that are primed for a fight.

The new specialist introduced this season, Ewelina Lis is kitted out to deal with enemy vehicles. Using her Armour Killer ability, nearby vehicles will be automatically spotted on Ewilnia’s radar, with damaged armour behind highlighted, giving the player the opportunity to swoop in and deal the finishing blow. In order to do just that, Lin comes equipped with the G84-TGM rocket launcher that fires player-guided ordinance that tears through tanks and airborne vehicles alike.

Speaking of which, Zero Hour is adding two new stealth helicopters, the RAH-68 Huron and the YG-99 Hannibal Gunship. These sleek killers can carry two players, a gunner and a pilot, and come packing a turret and missiles to deal damage. Both choppers feature two modes: Stealth and Assault. When in Assault Mode, they act as you would expect, but when in Stealth Mode, they trade their primary weapons for bombs and become completely undetectable to radars and invisible to lock-on weaponry.

Joining the arsenal this season are the Ghostmaker R10 Crossbow and the BSV-M Marksman Rifle. The Ghostmaker is a silent killer that can also utilise explosive-tipped bolts to deal damage to vehicles, whereas the BSV-M is a versatile, long-range weapon that can toggle into a fully-automatic firing mode for when the enemy gets a bit too close. Lastly, the Smoke Grenade Launcher is this season’s new gadget, creating a wall of smoke to help confuse the enemy during an attack or block their vision as you escape.

Zero Hour’s battle pass will feature 100 tiers that can be unlocked by playing the game and gaining XP. All of the gameplay-related content covered above will be unlockable from the free version of the battle pass, alongside 30 cosmetic items. Those who purchase the premium version will unlock a further 70 levels filled with earnable cosmetic items. The premium version of the battle pass will cost roughly AU$14, or 1000 BFC (the game’s premium currency). It’s also worth noting that this season’s content will be earnable even after Zero Hour wraps up, so there’s no time constraint on the content.

Lastly, Battlefield Portal’s creation suite will be getting a number of new features, including an increase in the vehicle budget and more freedom over the spawning locations for both players and vehicles. All of the new content included with Zero Hour will also be available within Portal.

Give the gameplay trailer for Battlefield 2042 Season 1: Zero Hour a watch here:

2042 has seen a number of updates and fixes that have improved the overall experience, so here’s hoping that with Season 1: Zero Hour launching this week, the servers will begin to populate with players returning from the game’s rocky first few months.

Will this content have you jumping back into 2042? What would you like to see from the game? Let us know in the comments or on our social media.