It's safe to say the highly anticipated Battlefield 2042 hasn't got off to the best of starts. Released in November of last year, DICE and Electronic Arts' latest installment in the popular Battlefield franchise was meant to be an ambitious massive-scale shooter with a purely multiplayer focus, unlike the previous Battlefield games. The game is set in the near-future with an array of futuristic weaponry, vehicles, and gadgets aimed to give players the most creative approach to combat the series had seen. Unfortunately, thanks to technical issues and a lack of content at launch, Battlefield 2042 had a very lackluster response from fans and a mixed reception with critics.
Despite some controversies surrounding Battlefield 2042's launch, including a rapidly growing petition to get EA to refund dissatisfied Battlefield players, the game does have some good elements. In a departure from the previous installment's setting, the futuristic focus of Battlefield 2042 offered plenty of opportunities for DICE to push the boat out in terms of design. New environmental aspects and a focus on player-led mechanics were risky, but they can make Battlefield 2042 a fun and experimental game. The new Specialist system may appear restrictive at first, but it offers some interesting gameplay opportunities once players get to grips with it. Specialists like assault expert Webster Mackay serve as a great example of the game's flexible approach to combat, despite its other faults.
Webster Mackay — Nomad, Soldier, Badass
Battlefield 2042 has many elements that signal a departure from the series' previous formula, like the choice to not include a single-player campaign mode at all. Instead, the game's story and background to the setting are revealed through environmental aspects during multiplayer gameplay. Due to the collapse of the European Union, natural disasters, rising sea levels, a global blackout after 70% of orbiting satellites were lost, and growing international tensions, war broke out between Russia and the United States in 2042. This global crisis created a large number of refugees known in-game as Non-Patriated, or No-Pats.
Webster Mackay is a Canadian-born soldier who joined the military as a teenager to follow in the footsteps of his father. After a successful career which included becoming a member of a counter-terrorism unit called Joint Task Force 2, Mackay retired to live off the grid. It was always a dream of his to explore and pursue a more nomadic life — one that he was finally able to achieve once he'd slung up his gun. But after the global plunge into war, Mackay joined the fray once again to fight for No-Pats as a way to atone for some of his regrets during his military career.
The outdoorsman specializes in assault and focuses on getting around the battlefield quickly and efficiently to cause as much damage as possible. With the unique Nimble ability, Mackay increases his speed while still aiming down sights, meaning that his accuracy is not sacrificed while his mobility improves, giving him a significant speed-related advantage over other combatants. Along with his boosted speed, Mackay fires out a Grappling Hook that attaches to various surfaces and pulls the player quickly towards the attach point once the rope is retraced. Being able to move about the map quickly and improve the verticality of his combat makes Mackay a formidable opponent, and arguably Battlefield 2042's best Specialist.
Comparing Mackay To The Other Specialists
In previous Battlefield games, the player's choice of weapon was restricted to their chosen class. Thanks to Battlefield 2042's new Specialist system, gamers can utilize any weapon they choose and take advantage of their chosen playable character's abilities and traits at the same time. Specialists fall into four recognizable groups — Assault, Support, Recon, and Engineer. With ten Specialists to choose from at launch, DICE has confirmed that more will be on the way and rolled out at the beginning of each of Battlefield 2042's content seasons to help shake things up and keep things fresh.
Even though the specialties and traits are locked to each character, the ability to completely choose a loadout gives players flexibility in their approach to combat. But this doesn't mean that the choice of Specialist doesn't have an impact, and players should decide carefully in order to create the most effective squad. While Mackay was a popular character during Battlefield 2042's beta and proved a versatile choice, there are plenty of other characters for gamers to pick.
Constantin "Angel" Anghel is a Support Specialist who can resupply other players with armor and ammunition using Loadout Crate, or heal allies back to full health. This valuable character provides much-needed support while also giving squads the ability to change their combat approach in Battlefield 2042 on the fly with a brand-new loadout. While not as combat-orientated as Mackay, Angel is the type of character that offers invaluable options and backup to their squad members and can be just as fun to play as more offensive options.
While Battlefield 2042 certainly has its drawbacks and issues to fix, the combat does have moments that shine through the controversy. With the addition of new Specialists and some much-needed patches and updates as Battlefield 2042 continues its post-launch life, the game will hopefully improve to a point where it realizes its promised potential. A move to make Battlefield 2042 free-to-play may be the game's saving grace and could bring players back onboard to fill servers and help to deliver on the player-led aspects of gameplay. Although only time will tell if Battlefield 2042 will be able to overturn its initial misfortunes, launch issues, and player disappointment, its Specialist system is one of the areas that the game gets right.
Battlefield 2042 is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
