Compare Apex Legends' Arena Mode which uses a similar system of spending points to buy gear for a game - it guarantees you enough currency to allow you the purchase of some guns and equipment other than the default, zero-cost items. If you have a couple of bad runs in a row (as we did), you're going to have 0 Credits and get stuck with default gear. Let's start with the Dark Market Credits: the first time you play Hazard Zone, you're going to have 0 Credits and get stuck with default gear. This new game mode will definitely have some growing pains. This new game mode can be a bit frustrating for new players and can lack challenge for skilled players in terms of earning Dark Market Credits. Hazard Zone is fundamentally fun despite these flaws. There is also a hard limit of one Specialist per squad. The standout feature in this respect is 'Tactical Upgrades,' a selection of boosts you can purchase with Dark Market Credits that will allow you to boost your starting armor, carry more Data Drives, earn more Dark Market Credits for completing specific objectives, and other things along those lines. It bears mentioning that this is more than just another game mode like Conquest or Breakthrough Hazard Zone has its own set of special equipment that you won't find in other game modes. If you enjoy stuff like Escape from Tarkov, you'll love this new game mode. Fail, and you lose absolutely everything. Succeed, and you'll get points for securing the Data Drives plus a refund for all the gear you purchased.

There's more to the game than just finding them, though - you'll have to successfully make it to an Extraction Point with the Data Drives in hand. Squads are randomly inserted into several points around the map and must search for Data Drives from crashed satellites. If you're just starting out or had a few bad runs, you'll be able to jump into a game with basic equipment at no cost. The difference here is that your guns and gadgets need to be purchased with a new currency called 'Dark Market Credits' that persists between games. Here's how it works: several squads of four players get roughly a minute to prepare by picking their Specialists and equipment. This is a brand-new game mode to Battlefield and is effectively EA Dice's spin on Escape From Tarkov with a dash of Apex Legends' Arenas game mode thrown in. Hazard Zone is a Hectic Take on Tarkovĭay two of the Battlefield 2042 event focused on Hazard Zone.

The new Hazard Zone game mode is an interesting experiment, but it has a few kinks that need to be ironed out. What was less certain, however, was how the new Hazard Zone game mode would play out. I played the Breakthrough game mode over roughly two hours and it quickly convinced me that Battlefield 2042's gamble on changing up the class system works.

Battlefield 2 gameplay