Battlefield's new Portal mode is custom games on steroids

Battlefield 2042's new mystery mode is a custom games creator with Battlefield 3, Battlefield 1942, Bad Company 2, and Battlefield 2042 content.

Today DICE introduced Battlefield Portal, a new online tool that's been 10 years in the making. Portal is basically a playground that converges classic Battlefield games into a custom games platform where gamers can let loose and create some truly wacky experiences. It's custom games on steroids.

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With BF Portal, gamers can mix and match weapons, content, modes, and maps from four mainline games, including 128-player carnage. The customization options are pretty crazy--you can have modern Battlefield 2042 guns, vehicles, and classes on classic BF 1942 maps, or old-school weapons in Battlefield 2042's crazy weather-breaking arenas.

DICE confirms Battlefield Portal is only included in Battlefield 2042 and won't be a standalone game.

"Portal is a new community-driven experience that gives players the freedom to write their own rules and shape their own battlefield. You can mix and match content from Battlefield 1942, Bad Company 2, Battlefield 3, and Battlefield 2042. Then you can share and discover those on the Portal platform," Ripple Effect's Christian Grass said.

"That's just what's coming at launch. This is a real love-letter to fans from our incredible team."

Gamers can save and share their custom-created gametypes across a browser for easy access.

Portal has 13 maps including:

• Caspian Border
• Arica Harbor
• El Alemin
• Noshar Canals
• Battle of the Bulge
• Valparaiso
• All 7 maps from Battlefield 2042

"Portal is the chance for the community to drive the platform. There's a whole slate of customization options and even an advanced logic editor--tools that were previously only available to developers.

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DICE is giving players the same development tools they use to make the games in order to fine-tune parameters; gamers can have one team use only defibrillators and the other team using knives. The possibilities are endless.

"You can get pretty wild with Portal. WWII against 2042, yes," Grass said.

Multiple game mode possibilities include knives vs super-fast soldiers, shotty snipes with guns across all time periods, 4x Battlefield 2042 players vs 32x WWII players, etc.

While Portal is a convergence of fan-favorite maps, vehicles, weapons, and modes, it's not a level editor. Don't expect to be able to change up the maps similar to Halo's Forge mode.

"It's not a level editor. You can't edit the maps themselves. The options are pretty deep, and we're committed to working with the community to build out this thing with content as the game evolves. We want this experience to go where you want to take it."

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Check below for more info on what's included with Battlefield Portal, including guns, vehicles, and more.

Weapons:

• 40+ Weapons from 3 Theaters of War;
• M1 Garand, Panzerschreck, G3, M416 and more
• Plus the inclusion of Battlefield 2042's All-Out Warfare Arsenal.

Vehicles:

• 40+ Vehicles from 3 Theaters of War;
• The Spitfire and B17 Bomber make their return alongside modern hardware such as the Quad Bike and Little Bird.
• Plus the inclusion of Battlefield 2042's All-Out Warfare array of vehicles.

Gadgets:

30+ Gadgets from 3 Theaters of War;

• Reconnaissance items such as the MAV and Radio Beacon will be available as gadget selections alongside the Defibrillator and EOD Bot!
• Plus the inclusion of Battlefield 2042's Gadgets.

Armies

• Classic Factions will be making their return in Battlefield Portal as you remember them, allowing you the ability to mix and match between 7 different armies from the Classic titles as well as Battlefield 2042's Specialists.
• Armies such as 1942's UK, US, and Germany as well as Bad Company 2's US and Russia will feature exclusively in Battlefield Portal.

Soldiers

• The return of Factions to Battlefield Portal, we will also mean that we are bringing back soldier archetypes as you know them to be within their relevant titles. As an example, Battlefield 3's Assault, Engineer, Support and Recon roles make their return in Battlefield Portal.

Battlefield Portal will allow you to mix eras against one another, letting you create new and wild Battlefield experiences. Ever wanted to see a dogfight between some Spitfires and a helicopter? Making it happen is as easy as tweaking some options in Battlefield Portal's Settings. It's your playground: Go wild.

DISCOVER. CREATE. SHARE.

With Battlefield Portal, we are aiming to put as much power as possible in your hands, allowing you to create your own signature Battlefield experiences that you've always dreamed of playing. It's really up to you: discover, create, share. To allow you to do this, Battlefield Portal comes with game-changing Settings that will allow you to build the experience you want.

As an example of what you can do with the Settings, here's a small selection you can use in Battlefield Portal at launch.

• Factions - for the first time in franchise history you can battle across different Battlefield eras, choosing which soldiers, weapons and vehicles can compete on the battlefield. Want to pit an 1942-era team against foes outfitted with modern weapons and tech? Go for it.
• Mobility -using Battlefield 2042's Settings, you can disable/enable players' ability to Aim Down Sights, go prone, and more. We're giving you the options that allow you to play these Battlefield experiences as authentically as possible or to instead enjoy them with the conveniences of modern gaming experience. For example: If you want a more authentic Battlefield 1942 experience, you can switch off sprinting and disable health regeneration.
• Visibility - if you want to create a more Hardcore mode experience for your players, why not disable everyone's Heads' Up Display (HUD) and the minimap?
• Arsenal - Tired of getting dusted by sniper rifles or blown to pieces by tanks? You will be able to restrict weapons, specialists, gear, and vehicles that players have access to in your match.
• Scale -You can control the max number of players for each team as well as which weapons everyone has access to, creating as much balance or chaos as your heart desires. Why not pit 10 players armed with assault rifles against 50 players armed only with knives? Go wild.
• And this is just only a tiny portion of the options you'll be able to adjust with these Settings. There will be some limitations such as not being able to build a Battle Royale mode (yes, we knew you would ask). But we mainly look forward to seeing you discover what's possible with all these options at your fingertips.

From more tactical, realistic simulations to off-the-wall battles, the power is yours to shape Battlefield's playground. There are many more Settings that will be available at launch and we can't wait for you to discover them and to see the kind of experiences you can create.