Battlefield Portal is the official name of Ripple Effect's top-secret game mode for Battlefield 2042. EA already confirmed (following some leaks and rumors) that it would feature remastered maps from earlier titles in the franchise, but after seeing the developers' presentation, we can safely say that's really just the tip of the iceberg.
First things first, however. Battlefield Portal will include six remastered maps, two each from Battlefield 1942 (Battle of the Bulge and El Alamein), Battlefield Bad Company 2 (Valparaiso and Arica Harbor), and Battlefield 3 (Caspian Border and Noshahr Canals). These have been brought up to the standards of Battlefield 2042. They can all be played up to 128 players on PC and next-gen consoles, and Battlefield 1942 maps also received proper destructibility, something that obviously wasn't there originally.
Overall, this means there will be 40+ weapons (including M1 Garand, Panzerschreck, G3, and M416), 40+ vehicles (including the Spitfire, B17 Bomber, Quad Bike, and Little Bird), and 30+ gadgets (including MAV, Radio Beacon, Defibrillator, and EOD Bot) available from three different theaters of war. That is in addition to the seven maps plus arsenal, vehicles, and gadgets from Battlefield 2042 itself, all playable in Battlefield Portal. Moreover, classic factions and soldier archetypes will also make a comeback (exclusively in this mode).
As exciting as all of this sounds, though, it's The Builder that truly makes Battlefield Portal shine. Anyone, including those who don't even own Battlefield 2042, will be able to go to this web-based platform and create unique game experiences. This can be done in a simpler way, that is to say by tweaking the settings, or in a more advanced way, through a visual scripting tool that manipulates game elements called Logic Blocks.
The possibilities are frankly staggering. Yes, you can pit Battlefield 1942 armies against Battlefield 3 armies, but Battlefield Portal goes much beyond that. Here's the extent of the options at your disposal:
• Maps - Pick from the selection of 13 available maps
• Modes - Choose from a range of game modes - whether it be more established modes like Rush or Conquest, or starting with something completely custom
• Mode Settings - Fine-tune various details within the mode including:
o Factions - choose which soldiers, weapons, and vehicles can compete on the battlefield
o Mobility - Toggle players’ ability to Aim Down Sights, go prone, and more
o Visibility - Toggle Heads’ Up Display and minimap visibility for players
o Arsenal - Restrict weapons, Specialists, gear, and vehicles that players have access to in matches
o Scale - Adjust the balance of each battle by controlling the max number of players in each team as well as which weapons they have access to
• Team Select - The ability to put different teams and eras of soldiers against each other
• Weapon/Gadget/Vehicle Restrictions - Fine-tune which soldiers should be available from each faction, which weapons and attachments they can use, which vehicles are available and how to access them
• Settings - Players can use these to refine the experience they want to make, toggling options like core game mode rules, soldier settings, vehicle settings, and UI settings
• Logic Editor - Additional options to cater to unique experiences, allowing players to define rules, set victory conditions, team scale, and specific in-game events.
Just to give you a few examples, you could create asymmetric teams to balance a World War II faction against a modern faction. You could give the former team more health, or remove the latter team's ability to go prone. You could activate friendly fire for just one team, or restrict their selection of vehicles or gadgets; via the Logic Editor, it's even possible to force switch weapons of a specific team upon reaching predetermined thresholds, like a set number of kills or points.
Needless to say, fans will be able to easily share their creations with just a link that contains a special code. Of course, in the game itself, there will also be featured experiences that have been vetted by the developers.
Miscellaneous Facts from the Q&A
- Experience and progression in general can be earned in Battlefield Portal, too.
- The call-in system for vehicles from Battlefield 2042's All-Out Warfare mode is here as well.
- At launch, you can't mix and match soldiers from different eras in the same team.
- The ability to create asymmetric teams can be pushed all the way to what would essentially be a PvE mode, that is to say, playing alone (or with a bunch of friends) against bots. This could be useful to test a newly crafted experience, or a specific weapon or vehicle.
- A tag system will help players spot their favorite types of experiences.
- The devs have talked internally about adding a replay system to Battlefield Portal, though there are some technical challenges to overcome first.
Battlefield Portal looks like the ultimate Battlefield sandbox, and it's only going to get larger as Battlefield 2042 is updated post-launch. Each new addition will also be available in this mode, and the developers said they're open to the community's feedback on topics like adding the ability to change maps' boundaries, barriers, and where the objectives are placed.
Battlefield 2042 launches on October 22nd (a week earlier than that for customers who've purchased the Gold Edition and the Ultimate Edition), though fans will first get their hands on the game with an Open Beta scheduled for September.
