Start Playing Battlefield 2042 on November 12 with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and EA Play

Starting Friday, November 12, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members with EA Play can jump in and start playing Battlefield 2042 with Early Access, a 10-hour trial that’s full of iconic Battlefield gameplay moments leading up to the game’s global launch on November 19, letting you play All-Out Warfare, Hazard Zone, and the community-driven Battlefield Portal game modes.

Hazard Zone, for those who don’t know, is a brand-new mode launching for the first time with Battlefield 2042 which puts you in a small, four-person squad tasked with locating and retrieving Data Drives from crashed, low-orbit satellites that are scattered throughout the battlefield. The challenge here is that you will be up against opposing squads with the same objective.

And it’s not just about trying to be the first squad to retrieve the data drives; it’s also about being able to get to the extraction point with your data drive collection before a massive storm enters the area, wiping everyone one (if an enemy squad doesn’t do so first). You can get a detailed look on all things Hazard Zone with our first-look preview here on Xbox Wire.

Having recently gone hands-on with this new game type, we found there’s a tremendous depth to this game mode, where choosing the right mix of Specialist, weapons, gadgets, and Tactical Upgrades is key to survival. So, we thought we’d offer a few helpful tips to help you and your squad hit the ground running when Early Access for Battlefield 2042 kicks off on Friday, November 12.

Hazard Zone Tips

Not Everyone Needs a Data Drive Scanner

One of the most important (and free) pieces of equipment in Hazard Zone is the Data Drive Scanner — this is used to scan the field and locate a Data Drive. Make sure you coordinate with your squad while you’re in the pre-match Loadout screen to determine who will be responsible for this task, because not everyone needs a Data Drive Scanner – you should try and create the most well-balanced squad to succeed in Hazard Zone. Setting ownership on who oversees Data Drive scanning will allow the rest of your squad to free up their equipment slot for another piece of useful tech to bring along.

It’s Okay to Retreat

Chances are very good you’ll encounter other teams fighting over the same Data Drive collection, either player squads or AI-controlled Occupying Forces. While it might be tempting to fight with an enemy team and wrestle control of a Data Drive from them, there are plenty of other locations to choose from on the map. If the fighting gets too hot, there’s no shame in retreating to a different, less hostile location. Remember: Your goal here are the Data Drives, not your kill streak, and you’ll get a bigger net reward for the number you successfully extract.

Get to the Last Extraction Point Early

There are two Extractions that occur during the match, but if your squad is choosing to stick it out for the Last Extraction with your bounty of Data Drives, it can create one hell of a hectic (and fun!) experience as everyone tries to board the last CV-38 Condor and be flown to safety. In our experience, once you learn the Last Extraction Point location, it’s best to prioritize getting there and setting a solid defensive position to ward off other squads. And don’t think that once you’re inside the Condor you’re good to go. Continue fighting until that counter reaches 00:00, laying down suppressing fire to keep those enemy squads at bay, destroying their last, desperate attempt to get to safety. Bonus: If you happen to repel these squads and there’s still time left, try to grab their dropped Data Drives to add to your collection.  

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members with EA Play can jump in and start playing Hazard Zone along with the other game modes like All-Out Warfare and Battlefield Portal when Early Access kicks off for Battlefield 2042 on November 12. You can also pre-order Battlefield 2042 Ultimate Edition and Battlefield 2042 Gold Edition to start playing when Early Access starts. We’ll have some more share in the lead up to next week’s global launch for Battlefield 2042, so keep it tuned here to Xbox Wire.