Battlefield 2042 Revealed as COD Vanguard Skips E3

Battlefield 2042 announced for October

EA has unveiled Battlefield 2042, which will support up to 128 players in a single battle and will launch in October as a multiplayer-only game.

Judging by the trailer, Battlefield 2042 is – as the name suggests – set in the near future and features a light futuristic touch with gritty megastructures, autonomous quadrupedal weapon platforms, and lots of wingsuits.

Gameplay will be revealed in a new trailer in June, while a closed technical test goes online in July. At least 500,000 people tuned in yesterday afternoon to watch the debut, where we learned the following details: 

• Battlefield 2042 Official Reveal Trailer

What we know:

• Launching on 22nd October 2021, after a technical test in July
• Max player count is 128 on PC, Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, 64 on PS4 and Xbox One
• Classes become categories containing specialists
  • 10 specialists available at launch
• All-Out Warfare features ‘standard’ Battlefield game modes
• New squad-based Hazard Zone mode teased
• Third mode showcasing at EA Play Live on July 22nd
• Gadgets include grappling hook, revive gun, auto-turret, Wingsuits and movement sensor
• Post-launch maps added to roster for free
• ‘Levolution’ returns, with maps changing during battles
• No single-player campaign or any Battle Royale mode

EA also plans to host an open beta later on in the year, which will be open to all platforms. You can visit the Steam store page, and the official website here. 

Which EA Sports game hid a copy of the short film Jesus vs. Santa?

a) Tiger Woods 99
b) NBA Live 2000
c) Madden NFL 2003
d) NHL 98

The answer will be revealed at the bottom of today's issue. Join up with our community on Twitter and Facebook to discuss what the answer could be.

Reel controller innovation from Sega

Virtua Tennis for Dreamcast could actually be played with the Dreamcast Fishing Controller, a motion control peripheral with a gyroscope not dissimilar to Nintendo’s WiiMote.

The controller was originally designed for Sega Bass Fishing, but several other games featured support for it including Soulcalibur and Crazy Taxi.

Join our community on Twitter and Facebook to discuss today's fact.

Playdate handheld pre-orders this July

The Playdate is a new handheld gaming device with a black-and-white screen and … a crank? It's certainly an unusual twist, and the business model is equally unique: The first games for the device are included in the console's price, and will launch biweekly for the first 12 weeks.

New games will be released in seasonal updates, with the first one featuring 24 games. You can get a peek at the first batch of games in the developer update stream, and sign up to be alerted when pre-orders open in July.

Made for fun: The Playdate is developed by Panic, who published Firewatch and Untitled Goose Game, and they are already planning peripherals for the console, such as the impractical but completely adorable Playdate Stereo Dock.

Windup games:The crank is “an analog controller that flips out from the side, allowing you to precisely dial in the action,” according to Panic. Sounds perfect for fishing games, but what else will it be good for? The Playdate SDK will be free to download soon.

Call of Duty: Vanguard skipping E3 2021

Sledgehammer Games is hard at work on the next Call of Duty, scheduled for launch in November this year, and Activision has decided not to show the game at E3 later this month.

Call of Duty: Vanguard is expected to continue the series' tradition of cinematic single-player campaign and competitive multiplayer, this time set in the pacific theatre of second world war.

He who dares: Vanguard follows the trials and tribulations of the first Allied special forces team. Expect WW2-themed changes to Call of Duty Warzone as well.

Tie-in royale: Activision probably learned a lesson after Black Ops Cold War's troubled launch, so expect a smoother roll-out of Warzone content this time. For one, there will be an entirely new map released alongside Vanguard.

We’ve got 5 copies of adventure Backbone for PC

Furry noir detective adventure Backbone is out now on PC, and we've got 5 Steam keys to give away so you can release your inner sleuth and unravel the mysteries of Vancouver as raccoon private dick Howard Lotor. It will be available on PS4, Xbox One and Switch later on this year. 

Poke holes in alibis, hide liquor in your drawer, and size up crooks by participating in our Backbone Giveaway!

• First part of Minecraft Caves & Cliffs now on Switch complete with goat-centric trailer
• Naughty Dog hiring for “unique multiplayer project”. While the developer has dabbled in multiplayer since the second Uncharted game, this will be their first standalone online game
• Valheim patch 0.154.1 straightens out bumpy capes and allows you to block the mighty Troll ground slams, but also adds two new events that weren't working before
• Mario Golf: Super Rush supports two-player local multiplayer and up to 4 players online
• Pokémon Go’s Special Raid Weekend from June 12th to June 13th awards twice the candy and has more frequent raids and mega raids

Which EA Sports game hid a copy of the short film Jesus vs. Santa?

ANSWER: Tiger Woods 99!

The first few runs of Tiger Woods 99 for PlayStation featured a clip of Jesus vs. Santa, an animated short by Trey Parker and Matt Stone which introduced the town of South Park and its foul-mouthed children. If you stick the disc in a computer CD-ROM drive, you’ll find a quicktime file with the minute short.

Needless to say, Jesus vs. Santa was not supposed to ship with the game. According to the disc’s metadata, the file was added just a few days before the game was sent to manufacturing although no-one knows who’s responsible for the wanton act of vandalism.

EA recalled the game, and removed the file from its master copy. If you are the lucky owner of one of the first 100,000 discs pressed, you might just own the world’s one and only Tiger Woods x South Park crossover.

Today's issue of DailyBits was written by Gavin Herman, Nick Akerman, Erlend Grefsrud, Simon Priest, and Jamie Davey. If you have any feedback or news tips for the team, please email us!