Battlefield 2042 update cuts Breakthrough multiplayer back down to 64 players

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The 4.1 update has also made some quality of life improvements and balance changes

Battlefield 2042 guns
(Image credit: EA)

The Battlefield 2042 update 4.1 has made changes to the Breakthrough multiplayer mode, reducing the player count from 128 back to 64. 

As detailed in the Battlefield 2042 patch notes, the All-Out Warfare playlists have been updated with new setups. This includes the multiplayer mode Breakthrough, which has had the 128 player count option removed on Xbox Series X, PS5, and PC.

The reasoning for this is due to publisher EA reviewing the All-Out Warfare experiences and finding that "the 128 player modes are better suited for Conquest where gameplay spaces are larger, and where you have a more natural fit for sandbox gameplay."

When reviewing the multiplayer mode, EA noted that "the 64 player version represented a more tactical experience" and so by reducing the player count, developer DICE has been able "to remove some of the chaos from the experience." EA has also promised to "keep a close eye" on the changes made and whether they do help to improve the experience ahead of the start of Season 1. 

This wasn’t the only thing that changed in the 4.1 update though, as EA also unveiled a number of other changes including quality of life improvements and some balance changes to weapons and specialists. 

The main changes in the patch notes include: "The overall power of Boris’s SG-36 Sentry Gun has been reduced," specialist Angel can "no longer provide Armor Plates via his Supply Bag," and "stock weapons can now handle better through improved base recoil." To compensate for that last change, DICE has also "slightly reduced the recoil benefits provided by attachments."

Can't get enough of Battlefield 2042? Take a look at our best Battlefield games list to find out what you should play next.  

Hope Bellingham
Hope Bellingham
News Writer

After studying Film Studies and Creative Writing at university, I was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Player Two PR where I helped to release a number of indie titles. I then got even luckier when I became a Trainee News Writer at GamesRadar+ before being promoted to a fully-fledged News Writer after a year and a half of training.  My expertise lies in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, cozy indies, and The Last of Us, but especially in the Kingdom Hearts series. I'm also known to write about the odd Korean drama for the Entertainment team every now and then.