Battlefield 2042 vs. Call of Duty Vanguard — which shooter will win?

Battleground 2042 vs. Call of Duty Vanguard — which shooter volition win?

(Epitome credit: EA/Activision)

One of gamin's biggest rivalries will reignite this year, with Battleground 2042 vs. Telephone call of Duty Vanguard. Both games volition compete for the attention of shooter fans this holiday season, and will knuckles information technology out in an epic disharmonism of the titans.

OK, maybe that'southward slightly overselling it. But it'southward been four years since a new Battlefield and a new Call of Duty came out in the aforementioned year. Naturally, fans have pitted the two titles against each other ahead of launch.

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Both games are likely to require a pregnant fourth dimension investment if you desire to unlock the best guns, equipment, perks and gadgets. Learning each championship's meta-game volition also take dozens of hours. The games volition besides launch at $seventy on next-gen systems, and then buying both might not be an selection for every gamer.

If you've got the time or upkeep for only i, then the winner of the Battleground 2042 vs. Telephone call of Duty Vanguard faceoff could be an important factor in your decision. That's where our comparison below can help you make up one's mind which is worth your express gaming fourth dimension, and hard-earned money.

Of course, with Battleground 2042 launching on Oct 22 and Telephone call of Duty Vanguard coming out two weeks afterwards on November 5, we won't be able to definitively call Battlefield 2042 vs. Call of Duty Vanguard for a few months yet. For now, here'due south how the fight is shaping up.

Battlefield 2042 vs. Call of Duty Vanguard: Setting

Battlefield 2042 urban multiplayer map — (Paradigm credit: EZ)

Fans reacted with joy to the news that Battleground would be stepping into the (near) futurity. It'southward a setting that players have been requesting for years. The first gameplay footage suggests that the resources-ravaged year 2042 will make for an excellent playground for intense firefights — non to mention some crazy weather.

Fans had a more than mixed response to the annunciation that Phone call of Duty would be returning to the 2nd World State of war, the same setting as 2017'due south Call of Duty: WWII. While WWII shooters aren't equally foreclose every bit they were 15 years ago, it'south however a well-worn setting not just in Call of Duty, but in video games in full general. Even the previous Battlefield game, Battlefield 5, featured a WWII setting.

While the 20th-century conflict does offer plenty of interesting locations and weaponry, it'southward by and large a bit played out. Battlefield's 2042 setting, on the other hand, combines the best of modern warfare with a few gadgets that aren't quite possible even so, like robot dogs.

Winner: Battlefield 2042

Battlefield 2042 vs. Call of Duty Vanguard: Single-player

Even without getting our hands on either game, it'due south piece of cake to call this one. Battlefield 2042 has forgone a traditional single-histrion entrada in favor of a focus on online multiplayer. You can fix upward matches with AI-controlled bots, only in that location won't be a solo entrada.

Call of Duty Vanguard will take a single-player entrada. You lot'll play every bit one of the 4 members of the titular Vanguard and fight beyond four theatres of war: the Western Front, the Eastern Front, N Africa, and the South Pacific. At Gamescom 2021 nosotros got an extended look at a single-role player mission, and it looks like a classic Call of Duty affair. Which is to say, it looks like a whole load of fun.

While very few players buy Battlefield or Call of Duty for their single-player components, we appreciate that Vanguard programmer Sledgehammer Games has given solo players something to enjoy likewise. Plus, a campaign is a nifty way to become acclimated to a game earlier jumping into online skirmishes.

Winner: Call of Duty Vanguard

Battlefield 2042 vs. Call of Duty Vanguard: Multiplayer

Both Battlefield and Call of Duty are primarily multiplayer titles, so this is hands the most closely contested category.

Battlefield 2042 will feature all-out warfare across seven maps through the popular Conquest and Quantum modes. The likes of Team Deathmatch, and potentially the fan-favorite Rush mode, are also likely to be available at launch. The game will also sport a new "high-stakes multiplayer experience" called Hazard Zone, which the developers oasis't fully revealed yet.

However, that'southward non all. At EA Play 2021, nosotros learned well-nigh a new mode chosen Battlefield Portal. This mode reimagines content from three archetype Battleground games: Battlefield 1942, Battleground: Bad Company 2, and Battlefield 3. Described every bit a "love letter to long-standing fans of the franchise", it will allow players to create custom games on a diverseness of classic maps. They will fifty-fifty be able to mix and friction match weapons and equipment from beyond the franchise. Battlefield Portal could be a real game-changer.

Call of Duty Vanguard - multiplayer — (Image credit: Activision)

Call of Duty Vanguard is offering a more than traditional multiplayer feel. Y'all'll have your standard online matches across 20 unlike maps, as well as a new Zombies experience and intergeneration with Call of Duty: Warzone. It's not a radical departure from the series' usual offerings, but Battlefield 2042 currently lacks such a wide variety of modes.

Winner: Tie

Battlefield 2042 vs. Phone call of Duty Vanguard: Adjacent-gen features

Battlefield 2042 and Phone call of Duty Vanguard will be releasing across generations on PS5 and Xbox Series X, too equally on PS4 and Xbox One. The games will offer some perks to next-gen players, though.

Call of Duty Vanguard has promised the standard rafter of next-gen features: improved loading times, slightly better resolution, DualSense compatibility on PS5, etc. The game will undoubtedly play all-time on PS5 and Xbox Series X (or a powerful PC), but the differences between the next-gen versions and the final-gen versions of the game will likely be small.

The next-gen features in Battlefield 2042 are more immediately apparent. On PS5/Xbox Series X/PC, players will be able to partake in massive 128-player battles, whereas on PS4/Xbox One, the player count will be locked at 64 per match. This is a huge difference, and could effect in an entirely different feel on next-gen hardware.

It's fantabulous to see that developer Dice isn't letting weaker last-gen hardware concur back the next-gen versions of Battleground 2042, and is instead taking full advantage of the PS5 and Xbox Series X.

Winner: Battlefield 2042

Battlefield 2042 vs. Phone call of Duty Vanguard: Outlook

Both Battleground 2042 and Call of Duty Vanguard are a couple of months out from launch, so at this stage, we tin't definitively say which shooter volition win the faceoff.

Battlefield 2042 has a more intriguing setting, and looks very much like a side by side-gen championship, thanks to its additional player count. However, Call of Duty Vanguard offers a more than complete package, with a full single-role player campaign and a new Zombies co-op mode, alongside the expected competitive multiplayer suite.

On balance, we're a shade more excited for Battlefield 2042 at this bespeak. Just without first getting hands-on fourth dimension with each game, we tin't call this title fight just notwithstanding.

More: Call of Duty Vanguard: iii reasons to be excited and 2 to exist worried

Rory is a staff writer at Tom's Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics including tech news, deals, gaming, streaming and more. When he's not writing hot takes on the latest gaming hardware and streaming shows, he can exist plant watching a borderline unhealthy corporeality of movies and existence thoroughly disappointed by his terrible football team.