Battlefield 6 has run its last open beta. This, obviously, is a tragedy. How else am I meant to spend my weekends? Where else can I drive around with four loads of C4 strapped to the boot, or engage in high-flying aerial duels? Well, there’s always Battlefield 2042.

But why go back? Well, it seems as though EA understands a widespread longing may have been on the cards with Battlefield 6’s absence, and has therefore introduced a limited-time event to the older title to keep folks engaged for the next few months. A celebration of sorts for 2042 before everyone leaps off towards greener pastures.

This new Battlefield 2042 update – which is straight up titled the “Road to Battlefield 6” update – includes a free battle pass full of little goodies, a revamp of the Iwo Jima map, and some prizes for those looking to jump into Battlefield 6 come October. Some of those battle pass rewards I mentioned earlier carry over, making 2042 a must-play for early-onset completionists.

It’s a clever ploy, offering permanent rewards for the new game. EA did it too for the Battlefield 6 beta, offering various cosmetics for hitting career levels or finishing challenges. It’s not like the Beta needed any help, but it surely would have brought folks back for the second beta even if they likely were fulfilled on the first beta alone. Battlefield 2042 offering such rewards will inevitably push those who never played the game – or maybe touched it only briefly – back into the fray.

Is this taking advantage of people’s FOMO? The voice in their heads that demands they need everything? Yeah absolutely, and as a former WoW mount collector that can be a real burden, but it’ll also inject a lot of life into Battlefield 2042 in its sunset period. For people who have stuck with Battlefield 2042 through thick and thin it’ll be like one last hurrah, and for Battlefield 6 refugees it’ll be a cool way of passing the time.

It does also help that Battlefield 2042 is a lot better now than it used to be. After years of updates, tweaks and changes, it’s really come into its own as of late. While a sizable number of players who’ll jump into Battlefield 2042 for its Road to Battlefield 6 event will be fair weather friends, there for a good time and not a long time, it may very well do wonders in remedying popular sentiment around the game that lingers from its troubled launch.

There have been some pretty cool crossovers in 2042, you’ve got to admit. | Image credit: EA

So yeah I’ll hop back into Battlefield 2042 – I too haven’t really touched it since its release. I’ll try out the new KFS2000, I’ll squad up with some friends, and hey, maybe I will crash some helicopters into people. The Battlefield 6 rewards are nice and I’ll take great joy in showing them off come October.

But honestly? I just think it’s a nice curtain call for a game that’ll inevitably be left largely behind when Battlefield 6 comes along. I do hope that for many people, it’ll leave a fond final memory of 2042 before the game is memory holed and thrown down the same well Hardline lives in.