Nearly four years after its initial release, Battlefield 2042 continues to face criticism from its dedicated fanbase regarding the absence of a traditional single-player campaign. The multiplayer first-person shooter has recently seen a significant surge in popularity as anticipation builds for its successor, Battlefield 6. However, this renewed attention has also brought back one of the game's most persistent criticisms - the missing narrative experience that has been a staple of the Battlefield franchise for years.

The recent two-weekend open beta for Battlefield 6 shattered franchise records, attracting hundreds of thousands of players and creating a noticeable void in the FPS market that won't be filled until the game's official launch on October 10th. This gap in the market has directly contributed to Battlefield 2042's remarkable player count resurgence. Prior to the conclusion of the second Battlefield 6 beta, Battlefield 2042's monthly concurrent player peak on Steam hovered around 13,000 players. However, following the beta's conclusion, player numbers skyrocketed, reaching an impressive peak of over 72,000 on August 26th and maintaining strong numbers above 56,000 within the last 24 hours.

Despite the game's renewed popularity, many players view the absence of a proper campaign mode as a significant missed opportunity to explore the game's compelling near-futuristic setting. The community has been vocal about this omission, with Reddit user ObeseMorese highlighting the issue by praising the game's artistic direction and narrative framework while expressing disappointment that these elements were largely sidelined in favor of multiplayer focus. This departure from traditional Battlefield formula marks an unusual shift for the franchise, leaving fans wondering about the rich storytelling potential of a world where Florida is mostly underwater and Europe suffers from devastating wildfires.

Rather than offering a conventional single-player experience, Battlefield 2042 presents its lore through a system of specialists - fully voiced characters who provide individual perspectives on the climate change crisis and subsequent political instability that drives the game's conflict. While this approach offers unique viewpoints, many players have expressed that they would have developed stronger connections to these specialists through a proper narrative campaign. Additional criticism has been directed at the specialist system itself, with some players feeling that replacing the traditional class system has created a sense of fighting numerous identical characters rather than distinct military roles.