Alas, all good things must come to an end, and such is the case with Electronic Arts (EA) and DICE’s extremely popular Battlefield 6 Open Beta. Throughout both of its weekends this month, the public playtest accrued hundreds of thousands of players across the large-scale multiplayer FPS’ Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PS5 platforms, even toppling Call of Duty’s record on Steam.
Now, though, its servers have come down, and fans hooked on its bombastic all-out warfare have found themselves in withdrawal, forced to wait for the game’s full release that’s scheduled for October 10. To help tide the community over, however, DICE has released a surprise new update for Battlefield 2042 — and it includes rewards players can earn for Battlefield 6.
That patch is Update 9.2, and has been titled the “Road to Battlefield 6” update. It includes a new map to play on, new weapons and vehicles to take into the fight, and a free 60-tier Road to Battlefield 6 Battle Pass you can progress through by playing between August 18 and October 7.
Earn BF6 rewards before BF6 drops 🔥Squad up in Battlefield 2042, dominate the new and improved Iwo Jima map, and unlock free exclusive rewards you’ll take straight into #Battlefield6. pic.twitter.com/U2rtTFtAwBAugust 18, 2025
The highlight of the update (you can read the official overview of it here) is the addition of Iwo Jima — a classic Battlefield 1942, Battlefield 1943, and Battlefield V map that’s been rebuilt and reimagined for 2042. In addition to the “boat landings, bunkers, and trenches” it’s always had, this new version of the large-scale coastal stage also includes an active volcano that seemingly has the potential to influence the flow of a match.
Some new sandbox items have been added to Battlefield 2042 as well, such as a new “highly accurate and easier to control” KFS2000 bullpup assault rifle and the Lynx sniper rifle you’ll automatically get if you played in the Battlefield 6 Open Beta (if you didn’t, you’ll be able to snag it “later down the line”). Notably, the Lynx is a semi-automatic anti-materiel rifle with enough stopping power to damage buildings and penetrate vehicle armor.
Feedback from both Open Beta weekends was near-unanimously positive, though many felt its version of the Rush mode felt too small and took serious issue with the lack of a server browser for official DICE servers.
There are also two new jet planes: the A-10 Warthog (here comes the BRRRT) and the SU-25-TM Frogfoot, both of which have been added “with new and tweaked abilities.” DICE says both aircraft are best suited to taking out ground vehicles, so they’ll be perfect for pilots with a passion for tank hunting.
As for the 60-tier Battle Pass, it includes over 50 unlocks inspired by beloved past Battlefield titles like Battlefield 1, V, Bad Company 2, 3, and 4, with several of its tiers granting you multiple items when reached. Its real draw, though, is that it also features 30 rewards for Battlefield 6 at Tier 8, 19, 30, 40, 49, and 60 of the pass. Among these, there are multiple skins, all of which you can see in the image below.
Provided you end up using the same EA account for Battlefield 6 that you use for Battlefield 2042, you’ll get your rewards granted automatically as long as you log into Battlefield 6 before March 31, 2026.
Overall, this is quite a cool surprise for Battlefield fans who are bummed out that they can’t play the Battlefield 6 Open Beta anymore, and even though Battlefield 2042 isn’t very popular with players, it’s nice to have new content to enjoy and rewards for the upcoming title to earn.
Battlefield 6 looks to be one of 2025’s biggest and best games, and has serious potential to steal the thunder of Call of Duty this year. With its reintroduction of the series’ classic classes, new class-specific gadgets that enable entirely new ways to play, incredibly advanced environmental destruction mechanics, and more, it’s positioned to be a return to form that Battlefield fans have been waiting years for.
Feedback from both Open Beta weekends was near-unanimously positive, though many felt its version of the Rush mode felt too small and took serious issue with the lack of a server browser for official DICE servers. Some also argue the game is too fast and has lost its identity, with others criticizing how the maps played on don’t feel large enough.
Still, DICE has promised that larger maps are on the way in the full game, and there’s plenty of time for the developers to make tweaks and changes ahead of October 10. I’m confident they’ll respond proactively to all the feedback they’ve gotten — and while they’re hard at work, I’m going to boot up Battlefield 2042 for the first time in years to earn those sweet Battlefield 6 skins.
Note that Battlefield 6 is available for preorder now on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (Steam, EA app, Epic Games), and PS5, with its standard edition costing $69.99. There were originally concerns that it would be an $80 game, though EA has committed to avoiding that price point even as publishers like Nintendo embrace it.
#road #BF6 #2042s #update #hides #big #surprises
