Pre-production has reportedly begun on the next Battlefield game, and will see the series revert to its familiar roots after changes introduced in Battlefield 2042 weren't well-received.

According to a report on XFire--who previously suggested a free-to-play mode may be in development--developer DICE has learned "valuable lessons" from Battlefield 2042 and will no longer be using that game as the new foundation for the long-running FPS franchise. One former developer who recently departed from DICE after the launch of Battlefield 2042 had suggested that the next Battlefield was at one point being designed to be even more of a "hero shooter" style of game.

It's claimed that recent playtest and feedback sessions were focused on the class system in Battlefield 2042, and this resulted in these plans being changed so that specialist roles will be tied more closely to classes. XFire also reported that the next Battlefield will be set in the modern-day or near future once again, as opposed to Battlefield 2042 which takes place several decades from now in a world where climate change has created a paradigm shift in society.

As for Battlefield 2042's future, EA and DICE are still required to release new specialists, modes, weapons, vehicles, and maps as part of its battle pass obligations, which is being handled by a dedicated team within DICE.

It's not known how the invasion of Ukraine will affect the development on the USA vs. Russia lore of Battlefield 2042, as EA recently removed Russia from several of its sports games and halted sales to the country and its ally Belarus.

In other Battlefield 2042 news, DICE released a patch earlier this month that added the first in a long list of legacy features to the game and the development team has been shaken up so that the brand can be grown. The latest entry in the Battlefield series failed to reach expectations for EA, but the company still recorded a record Q3 period last year.

GameSpot has contacted EA for comment, and we'll update the post as soon as we hear back.

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As you may have heard, an Overwatch 2 alpha is starting this week, and a closed beta will follow next month. I don't get to write as much as I once did, but I took some time this morning to ensure you, dear reader, would have the information you need: details on Overwatch 2, a release window for the beta, a link to sign up for access. Journalists are meant to avoid making themselves the story, but just because I did my job, Samoa Joe came at me.

Over on Kinda Funny Games Daily today, Greg Miller allowed professional wrestler Samoa Joe to co-host the program. Being a notable piece of news, Miller covered the story, choosing to read through GameSpot's coverage of Blizzard's announcement. Joe, taking exception to the closed nature of the test and his lack of access, decided I was to be the target of his ire.

"This is a rotten news story. I don't even know why you put these news stories out," he said. "Hey, guess what, a bunch of people are going to play a game you want to play, and you can't play it! But, at some point, you can sign up to play it, and maybe we'll think about you playing it."

Despite Miller's insistence that Joe not shoot the messenger, Joe was convinced I have access to this test and only wrote the story in order to flex on people, going on to call me a "scumbag."

"I know what you're playing at," Joe continued. "Listen, Chris, I get it, you have special access to certain things and you feel kind of special about it. So you mock up this news story, telling the world they can't play something that you can. But you don't really tell them that you can play it, but they know there are certain individuals--chosen ones--that can. And I bet, Chris, I bet you count yourself among those people. You know, I've seen a lot of scumbags in my time, but it's the quiet ones like you, Chris, the quiet ones like you that I despise the most."

In response to this attack, GameSpot managing editor Tamoor Hussain said in a statement, "As a fan of Samoa Joe, it's been a disappointment to see him attack one of GameSpot's writers in such a savage fashion. And what's more, he chose to do this on Kinda Funny Games Daily alongside Greg Miller, who has a long history of working in the press and I would have expected to defend Chris more against this vicious act of shooting the messenger. I guess I am not surprised, as Greg has developed a habit of punching down of late, but it's sad to see an award-winning Trending Gamer throw other members of the community and industry under the bus like this. They always say never meet your heroes. I guess they're right."

Clearly, there's only one way to settle this. Joe may no longer be with WWE, but Wrestlemania is weeks away, so I'm calling on Vince McMahon to give Joe and I the time to resolve this situation in the middle of the squared circle. Put the two of us in a cage--no, Hell in a Cell--where we'll battle it out (in a 1v1 Overwatch match because I am soft and easily broken, like peanut brittle in the shape of a human.)

I may not have a championship title to put on the line, but what can you do with a belt anyway? I'll do you one better, Joe--the loser has to buy the winner a copy of Overwatch 2. I'll be playing it at the same time as you, because believe it or not, we don't make the news or decide whether a game is getting a closed test, despite the many emails I receive asking me to unban Destiny 2 players or get rid of specialists in Battlefield 2042.

So let's get a deal struck with WWE, Joe, and find out who the real scumbag is.

Battlefield 2042's delayed 3.3 update, which introduces a refreshed Scoreboard UI alongside a number of bug fixes, will launch tomorrow, 8th March - and the previously announced "exclusive bundle" being given to certain players as compensation for the beleaguered FPS' delayed first season, arrives at the same time.

Update 3.3 was initially due to launch in February, but DICE made the decision to delay its release to "improve the quality of our updates, and include additional changes". Its key new feature, however, remains the aforementioned Scoreboard UI refresh, which DICE has detailed more thoroughly in its latest patch notes, confirming an "improved" Match Overview, a new team vs. team split look for Conquest, Breakthrough, Rush, and Team Deathmatch modes.

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