Ever since its announcement and subsequent reveal,Battlefield 2042has been under a microscope by fans of the franchise, and others alike. After taking a short hiatus afterBattlefield 5, DICE brought back theBattlefieldseries with a near-future design meant to harken back toBattlefield 3, one fan-favorite entry in the franchise. The troublesome release and post-launch reception ofBattlefield 5ended up being a severe blow to the franchise, somethingBattlefield 2042will hopefully remedy by the time of its full release on November 19. However, a surprise wrinkle on the 20th anniversary of Xbox may be working against that desire: the release ofHalo Infinitemultiplayer.
Even though the proper release ofHalo Infiniteis still planned for December 8 of this year, 343 Industries celebrated the 20th anniversary of Xbox andHaloby releasing multiplayer early in a beta phase. A few leaks beforehand may have spoiled the surprise for some, but it was a genuine surprise for most fans afterHalo Infinitewas delayed a full year from its original July 27, 2025 launch date. Granted a surprise release to drum up hype forInfinite’s full release this December is a huge showing of good faith by Xbox and 343 Industries, attempting to remedy for the Xbox Series X/S launch losingHalo, but it comes at the cost of stealing any thunderBattlefield 2042had.
RELATED:Some Battlefield 2042 Fans Think The Game Was Supposed to Be a Battle Royale
Halo Infinite’s MP Release Throws a Wrench in DICE’s Plans
Seemingly out of nowhere, fans started to notice over the weekend that several leakers and content creators were hinting at a big announcement coming next Monday. Many were aware that the 20th anniversary of Xbox (andHalo) was happening on Monday, but many figured it’d involve some kind of light celebration, rather than a surprise game drop. Instead,Halo Infinite’s free-to-play multiplayer launched in betaearly on November 15, right afterBattlefield 2042’s first early access weekend. Now, with the full release ofBattlefield 2042happening on November 19, the game’s release now has to contend withHalo Infinite’s launch popularity at the same time.
The problem is that anyone who’s already playingBattlefield 2042before November 19 has already purchased the game and is theoretically planning to play it after launch. What if that player wanted to try outBattlefield 2042first, and then check outHalo Infinitelater? Fans of both games are all of a sudden finding themselves in an unfortunate conundrum where they need to make a choice, andHalo Infinitecould win out.Some fans haven’t been super satisfied withBattlefield 2042’s multiplayer, so those fans are more willing to move over toHalo Infinitefor two reasons:Halo Infinitemultiplayer is entirely free-to-play, and the reception ofHalo’s multiplayer is much more positive.
RELATED:Looking Back at 20 Years of Halo: Combat Evolved
Battlefield 2042 Has Unexpected Competition This Month
Players who were potentially considering playing one multiplayer experience over the other are left with an even easier choice this month. Not only hasHalo Infinite’s multiplayer released earlier than expected, but 343 Industries has maintained its promise that baseHalo Infinitemultiplayer would be free-to-play. On all platforms where the game is available, players can hop in to play for free right now,almost a week prior toBattlefield 2042’s release on Friday. Players will be easily swayed toHalo Infinitewhen considering thatBattlefield 2042’s $69.99 price tag ($59.99 on PC) is a huge ask, especially considering the game’s beta and early access reception.
Granted the only obvious outlier here is PlayStation players, who don’t get to playHalo Infinitefor obvious reasons of console exclusivity.Battlefield 2042has a better chance on Sony’s console compared to Xbox and PC players because of this, considering the only alternative for a competitive AAA shooter on PS5 released this winter isCall of Duty: Vanguard. Of course,theBattlefieldvs.Call of Dutydiscussion has existed for years, but considering both entries in 2021 are full price games, the choice between those is far more contentious and up to preference.
That’s also likely why, whenHalo Infinite’s multiplayer was leaked and announced to be free-to-play, many fans were shocked and concerned. Many figuredHalo’s multiplayer would be going the same way that other free-to-play multiplayer offerings had: A battle royale-focused experience, with microtransactions and a battle pass. However, 343 Industries and Xbox was quick to prove fans thatHaloInfinitewould remain true to its origins, while introducing these modern shooter elements. Even if there isn’t a battle royale mode, andHalo Infinite’s battle pass isn’t exactly implemented flawlessly, fans have been thoroughly impressed by the technical preview and beta.
Halofans, or just shooter fans in general who own an Xbox or PC, should definitely be checking outHalo Infinite. That much on its own generally goes without saying, but forBattlefield2042, it’s an unexpected wrinkle leading up to the game’s release that could stop its momentum before it can even get started.
Battlefield 2042releases on July 16, 2025, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
MORE:Halo Infinite’s Jega Should Be More Than Just a Boss Fight
