How to get Battlefield 2042 early access and when it unlocks

The official release date for Battlefield 2042 is November 19, but the real release date is November 12. EA Play Pro subscribers and those who pre-order the $90 and $110 Battlefield 2042 editions will be able to play the full game at that time. Those who bought the regular edition a week later will be able to join the early field battlers, who will have unlocked every gun, attachment, and vehicle upgrade during their head start. If you're a regular EA Play or Xbox Game Pass user, you can also receive an early start in Battlefield 2042, with the caveat that you can only play for 10 hours.

It's regrettable that EA is taking advantage of the opportunity to sell pre-orders and subscriptions during launch week (provided it's not busted), but such are the breaks. After the early access period has ended for a few days, we'll post our Battlefield 2042 review next week. Here's a breakdown of who gets what and how it all works if you want to join us in playing before the official launch.

When does Battlefield 2042 early access unlock in my time zone?

Early access to Battlefield 2042 begins on Friday, November 12 at 12 a.m. Pacific Time. That's 3 a.m. Eastern Time, or 8 a.m. in the United Kingdom. Here's a big chart with more time zones. On November 19, the standard edition will most certainly follow the same pattern, with a worldwide release at midnight PST.

How can you gain early access to Battlefield 2042?

If you pre-order the Gold Edition or Ultimate Edition, you can start playing Battlefield 2042 a week early, or subscribe to EA Play Pro, which includes access to the Ultimate Edition for as long as you stay a subscriber. The Gold Edition will set you back $90 (£80), while the Ultimate Edition will set you back $110 (£100). Both are available to buy on Steam, Origin, and the Epic Games Store.

If you're planning on moving to an internet-free tundra in the next 12 months, you might want to consider signing up for a subscription to get more bang for your buck over the following year. EA Play Pro costs $15 per month or $100 per year and gives you access to all of EA's new titles as well as the company's back catalog. If you use the $100 membership for exactly a year and then stop, you'll save $10 over the solo Ultimate Edition. However, if you cancel the tundra move and continue to play BF2042, ignoring the other EA Play Pro games, you'll wind up spending more than you needed to.

The 500 IQ gambit: You could sign up for EA Play Pro for a month to receive early access, then cancel it before it renews and buy the $60 Battlefield 2042 ordinary edition, totaling $75. That's a $15 savings over the Gold Edition, and you'll still get early access, albeit you'll miss out on the Year 1 Pass, which covers the first four Specialists after launch. I'm not sure if your progress will transfer because you'd be playing different editions, but I've questioned EA about it.

How do you get the Battlefield 2042 10-hour trial?

Starting at midnight PST on November 12, if you have the non-Pro version of an EA Play membership ($5/month or included with Xbox Game Pass), you can play Battlefield 2042 for 10 hours. You'll have to upgrade to EA Play Pro or buy the game a la carte if you want to keep playing after the 10-hour trial time.

Is Battlefield 2042 available through Xbox Game Pass?

At launch, the full Battlefield 2042 game will not be available with an Xbox Game Pass membership. The 10-hour trial, on the other hand, will be. That's because Game Pass comes with everything you receive with an EA Play membership, including a 10-hour trial. If you wish to play for more than 10 hours, you'll need to subscribe to EA Play Pro or buy a copy of the game, just like with a regular EA Play subscription.

Battlefield 2042 will very certainly be available through the base EA Play subscription at some point, making it available on Game Pass, although EA hasn't indicated when that will happen. Battlefield 5 was added to the EA Play collection (then known as Origin Access) seven months after its debut, therefore Battlefield 2042 will most likely take the same amount of time. If EA Play Pro subscriptions and full-price copies are still selling, the company may wait.