Battlefield 2042: DICE Outlines Changes To Portal XP, Progression, Custom Games

Battlefield 2042 developer DICE has revealed new details on the upcoming 3.1 patch, specifically sharing new insight on the changes coming to the Portal mode as it relates to XP progression.

For Battlefield Portal, players can expect to earn XP at the "full rates" found in the game's other modes, and this also applies to unlocking new weapons, ribbons, attachments, and progression toward Mastery, DICE said in a lengthy Twitter thread.

For Battlefield 2042's newly updated Custom games mode, XP progression is being added back in the 3.1 update, so players can level up, as well as unlock new vehicles, weapons, and gadgets by playing user-created modes. DICE said it's bringing back XP progression for Custom games after conducting a "careful and close study" of how best to ensure it remains "fair and fun for all."

XP progression is capped per minute in Custom, and the cap resets once each minute. "If you trigger the cap, it doesn't impede you earning XP after that trigger. Modes designed to be played normally largely reward the same XP overall as you would get in CQ or BT," DICE said.

DICE is capping XP in Customs to encourage players to build real modes and not just XP farms. "Without caps in place, farming servers end up saturating the Server Browser with valueless experiences, and we want to discourage that," DICE said.

Ribbons are not supported in Custom games with the new update, DICE clarified, but players will still earn bonuses for completing matches and winning at the same values as the rest of the game. DICE also said that Battlefield 2042's new Customs mode doesn't let players progress toward Mastery rewards. "Mastery rewards are designed to be showcases for the committed, and until we’ve determined if we’re able to establish further safeguards, we won't change that," DICE said.

Mastery rewards can, however, be earned through official Portal modes made by DICE. For more, check out DICE's entire Twitter thread to see a granular breakdown of what's new in the 3.1 update for XP, unlocks, and mastery. DICE has not announced exactly when update 3.1 will arrive, but it's probably coming soon given how much the studio is talking about it.

In other news, EA has officially announced plans to create a Battlefield universe, with multiple new "experiences" in the works, including story content from Halo veteran Marcus Lehto's new team. Additionally, Respawn boss Vince Zampella is overseeing the entire Battlefield series going forward.