All Battlefield 2042 modes from Conquest to Hazard Zone

Battlefield 2042 modes
(Image credit: EA)

There are several different Battlefield 2042 modes available, with each offering a different type of experience within the multiplayer shooter, and these Battlefield 2042 game modes are divided across three distinct areas to help manage them more easily. All-Out Warfare is the first, which is split into the Conquest and Breakthrough modes, with both of these featuring the classic objective-based gameplay and over 100 players (where supported) taking each other on across personal and vehicular combat. Next up is Hazard Zone, a new addition to the series, where several squads face off in an elimination mode to gather and extract data drives. Then finally we have Portal, which is more of a sandbox for the entire series, combining experiences from Battlefield 2042 with Battlefield 1942, Bad Company 2, and Battlefield 3. For further details, here are all of the game modes you can play in Battlefield 2042.

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Battlefield 2042 Conquest

Battlefield 2042 conquest game mode on Kaleidoscope map

(Image credit: EA)

Battlefield’s classic Conquest mode is one of two modes in the All-Out Warfare section of Battlefield 2042. If you’ve played a previous Battlefield title, you’ll know what you’re doing, but here’s how the mode works for any new players.

In Conquest, each team starts with a number of reinforcements representing the number of lives they have for the entire match. The first team to lose all their lives loses the match, but Conquest is not just a simple team deathmatch mode. The map is also divided into several sectors and controlling the majority of sectors will cause the enemy team to bleed their reinforcements over time - far more effective than just defeating enemies.

Battlefield 2042 conquest game mode map for Kaleidoscope

(Image credit: EA)

To capture a sector, your team needs to control all the objectives within a sector – there’s usually just one or two objectives per sector that you need to lock down. To secure an objective, it must be clear of any enemy forces. The game will tell you exactly how many friendly and enemy players are in the sector towards the top of your screen. With a clear objective, your team will eventually capture the area. Do this for every objective in the sector and that sector is yours. Coordinating with your squad and team to keep your forces spread across most sectors is crucial to victory in Conquest.

Battlefield 2042 Breakthrough

Battlefield 2042 breakthrough game mode discarded

(Image credit: EA)

Breakthrough is very similar to the classic Rush game mode from past Battlefield titles and is the second All-Out Warfare mode in Battlefield 2042. This asymmetrical mode sees a team of attackers attempting to capture and hold up to three objectives in a sector from a team of defenders. If the attackers manage to hold all objectives at once, the defenders are forced to retreat to a new sector. This repeats until there are no more sectors for the defenders to retreat to or until the attackers run out of reinforcements.

Battlefield 2042 breakthrough game mode discarded map

(Image credit: EA)

In Breakthrough, defenders have unlimited reinforcements, so they can always keep their defense up, but attackers have only a few hundred lives. Some reinforcements are regained upon securing a sector and pushing the defenders back, but losing as few reinforcements as possible in the first sector ensures each sector after will be easier. Pushes by the attackers need to be coordinated or overwhelming to gain control of the objectives and holding them is even harder. Reinforcements will quickly dwindle if the attackers just throw themselves at each objective.

Battlefield 2042 Hazard Zone

Battlefield 2042

(Image credit: EA)

Hazard Zone is as close to a battle royale as Battlefield 2042 gets. Your squad, along with several other enemy squads will need to find, collect, and extract as many data drives as you can from crashed satellites scattered around the map. You can only extract your drives at certain times and in certain areas, so you need to keep an eye on the time and make sure you’re in a good position.

Hazard Zone is an elimination game mode. That means if you die, you’re out, but it also means if your enemies die, they’re out too. What’s more is that they’ll drop their drives so that you can collect them too. Even if you’ve kicked the bucket, your squadmates can still finish the mission. If just one of you is alive when you extract your team’s drives, everyone still gets the rewards. Speaking of which, the more drives you get, the better your rewards will be. That seems obvious, but Hazard Zone also allows you to bring better gear into the next match. More drives, means better rewards, and a better start for future matches.

Battlefield 2042 Portal

Battlefield 2042 Portal hub menu

(Image credit: EA)

Portal isn’t really a Battlefield 2042 mode but instead serves as more of a hub for community-made and classic Battlefield game modes from older titles. It’s a giant sandbox of virtual warfare history that allows players to create custom game modes with interesting rules, put different time periods against each other, or answer questions no one was asking. What happens if you pit 20 repair drones against one tank? Who would win out of Second World War soldiers with knives and modern soldiers with defibrillators?

Battlefield 2042 portal Battlefield Bad Company 2 Rush

(Image credit: EA)

When you open Portal, you’ll be greeted with several modes, and a tab for community-created modes. You can play slightly simplified versions of Classic Conquest in Battlefield 1942, Rush mode in Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and Conquest mode in Battlefield 3, along with a few classic maps for each of those titles. These modes aren’t just full copies of the original games, so they lack in some areas. For example, in Battlefield 3, the traditional class system still exists, but the guns, equipment, and customization available is much more limited.

Furthermore, when you open the Community Experiences tab in Battlefield 2042 Portal, you’ll see a list of custom servers and game modes that players have created, and you can dip in and out of them as you please. Some servers change little and just allow you to play exactly what you want, but others  We’ve played custom games of Infected and Gun Game, for example.

Will Sawyer
Guides Writer

Will Sawyer is a guides writer at 12DOVE who works with the rest of the guides team to give readers great information and advice on the best items, how to complete a particular challenge, or where to go in some of the biggest video games. Will joined the GameRadar+ team in August 2021 and has written about service titles, including Fortnite, Destiny 2, and Warzone, as well as some of the biggest releases like Halo Infinite, Elden Ring, and God of War Ragnarok.

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