The latest update for Battlefield 2042 has arrived, bringing back the festive Holiday Protocol event and implementing key gameplay adjustments. As 2025 approaches and whispers of a potential Battlefield 6 circulate, DICE continues to refine and enhance the 2042 experience with this final patch of 2024. Available now across PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms, this update offers players a chance to relive the holiday spirit and benefit from important vehicle and armor-piercing round modifications.
The highlight of Update 8.3.0 is the return of the Holiday Protocol event, previously enjoyed during the 2023 holiday season. Players can once again participate in the festive activities and earn a fresh set of rewards. Beyond the holiday cheer, DICE has addressed player feedback regarding vehicle balance and the effectiveness of armor-piercing rounds, particularly against Dozer’s ballistic shield.
This article details all the changes introduced in the Battlefield 2042 Update 8.3.0.
Vehicle Improvements and Adjustments
Several key changes have been made to enhance the vehicle gameplay experience:
- The Draugr is now exclusively categorized under the personal vehicle section.
- Vehicle-fired EMP grenades now consistently bypass amps, mirroring the behavior of hand-thrown EMPs.
- Collision detection for the Pondhawk has been improved to prevent players from hovering on top of it.
- A new HUD hint alerts players in a falling, pilotless aircraft, encouraging them to take control.
- Damage numbers now accurately reflect vehicle armor, correcting previous inflated values.
- The CAV-Brawler’s “spawn on foot” deploy screen icon no longer rotates with the vehicle.
- Equipping amps on vehicles no longer causes collision issues with environmental objects like vegetation.
Weapon Tweaks and Armor-Piercing Round Overhaul
A notable change addresses the M1 Garand’s animation delay when swapping to it while sprinting. However, the most significant weapon adjustment revolves around armor-piercing (AP) rounds and their interaction with Dozer’s ballistic shield. Responding to community concerns about Dozer’s defensive capabilities, DICE has implemented a system where AP rounds now penetrate the shield, albeit with reduced damage. This change aims to provide more counterplay options against Dozer while maintaining his protective role. The specific damage percentages for various weapon types against Dozer’s shield are as follows:
- Sniper Rifles: 45% damage per bullet
- Sniper Anti-Materiel Ammo: 80% damage per bullet
- Railgun (Single Shot): 25% damage per bullet
- Railgun (Full Auto/Burst): 10% damage per bullet
- Assault Rifles: 10% damage per bullet
- Designated Marksman Rifles (DMRs): 25% damage per bullet
- Revolvers: 25% damage per bullet
Further adjustments related to AP rounds and Dozer include:
- AP grenade launchers now damage Dozer through his shield.
- Dozer’s shield deployment time has been reduced by 80%.
- All AP ammo from primary weapons can now penetrate the shield.
Additional Improvements and Bug Fixes
The update also addresses several other areas of the game:
- Inconsistent damage numbers when dealing low damage multiple times have been fixed.
- Ammo stations can now be placed in custom Conquest, Team Deathmatch (TDM), and Free-for-All (FFA) experiences in Portal mode.
- Several Portal mode bugs related to deployment cooldown, score calculation, and Ascension Points have been resolved.
- Portal admins now have a mutator allowing players to swap teams via the pause menu when not spawned in.
- Objective Airdrop XP has been added to custom game modes.
- New progression events have been added: “Objective Airdrop” for pilots assisting teammates capturing objectives and “Vehicles Boosted” for capturing enemy vehicles.
- The inability to ping objectives in Shutdown mode has been fixed.
- Performance improvements have been made to the redeploy and death flow.
- A duplicate entry for Blasco’s “Ferocity” headgear in the customization menu has been removed.
- The Huron vehicle description in the deploy screen has been updated.
Conclusion
This update marks the final patch for Battlefield 2042 in 2024. While the future of the franchise remains uncertain, DICE’s commitment to improving the 2042 experience is evident. The return of the Holiday Protocol event, combined with the significant gameplay adjustments, particularly regarding Dozer and armor-piercing rounds, provides players with fresh content and a more balanced gameplay environment. These changes, along with numerous bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements, demonstrate DICE’s ongoing dedication to refining and enhancing Battlefield 2042.
