For the CoD Vanguard and Battlefield 2042 differences, we’ll focus on the most important design categories. These include the setting, the game modes, the customization options, the game speed and the map design.

One click will take you immediately to the various items:

1. Settings between which lies a century

In what context are the games set?

One of the biggest differences between the two games is the setting:

• Vanguard is set in World War II between 1941 and 1945;
• Battlefield in 2042, in which the US and Russia fight each other for resources thanks to climatic disasters.

This is not only a major narrative difference: players are therefore entrusted with weapons that are 100 years apart, full of technological and war tactical developments.

What does this mean for gameplay?

Because the time difference between the games is so great, combat is also different and with different tools.

• In Vanguard, you can screw a bayonet onto your sniper and summon a pack of sheepdogs to maul enemies.
• In Battlefield 2042, on the other hand, you control unmanned drones and summon robot dogs that shoot enemies with a machine gun.

How do I make the right decision?

If you want to play mainly as a foot soldier in a classic war setting, you’ll get your money’s worth when you buy Vanguard. Battlefield 2042, on the other hand, offers high-tech gadgets, futuristic weapons and vehicles like tanks or fighter jets.

2. The choice of game modes

What can I play in CoD Vanguard?

As far as game modes are concerned, Call of Duty relies on the tried and true with Vanguard this year: In addition to a campaign, zombies and new content in Warzone, there are the classics like Team Deathmatch, Domination or Search & Destroy in multiplayer.

By the way, if you want to read a detailed review of the campaign, we recommend the Vanguard review by our colleague Steffi on GameStar.

The new modes bring variety to the game and are well received by fans: Patrol plays like Position, but the point moves dynamically through the map. Team-based Champions Hill is set up like a tournament and uses extra lives to find the winner.

What does Battlefield 2042 offer?

This year, Battlefield completely forgoes a single-player campaign. EA and DICE are instead focusing on their own multiplayer strengths with two iconic main attractions: Conquest and Breakthrough.

In addition, there is also the level and match editor Battlefield Portal, the is reminiscent of the Overwatch Workshop and promises many gameplay possibilities. Players can fundamentally change the game rules via a browser-based configurator.

In addition to content from Battlefield 2042, this also allows players to access weapons, maps and factions from Battlefield 1942, Battlefield 3 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 – and mix them up if necessary.

Battlefield 2042 will not have a Battle Royale. Instead, there is Hazard Zone – a mode that seems to be inspired by Escape from Tarkov or Hunt: Showdown: So on a large map, you not only meet opposing players, but also computer-controlled enemies and have to complete missions before you leave alive. If you die, you also lose loot for the next match.

How do I make the right decision?

If you’re looking for classic multiplayer game modes, you’ll find them in CoD Vanguard. Battlefield, on the other hand, largely dispenses with modes like Team Deathmatch and focuses on the strengths of its own gigantic game modes. If you expect a solo campaign from a shooter, then Vanguard offers one. Battlefield 2042 does not have a campaign.

3. Customization of loadouts and weapons

How do loadouts work in Vanguard?

In Vanguard you can equip yourself with more than just weapons and grenades: 3 selectable Perks support your playstyle, Field Equipment’s give helpful gadgets. Or abilities with a cooldown and killstreaks reward good players with even more kills.

The focus of loadouts in Vanguard, however, is clearly on weapons: Up to 10 attachments can be packed on the weapons at the same time. You can completely customize the guns to your own needs. Almost 40 weapons are already available at release, which make an insane number of loadout variants possible thanks to the weapon forge.

What are the specialists in Battlefield?

In Battlefield 2042, the classes familiar to the franchise, such as assault soldier or medic, give way to specialists. We have compiled a list of the 10 specialists from Battlefield 2042 and their skills.

Specialists are reminiscent of the characters from Apex Legends and, in addition to passive abilities, each has a defining gadget: one has a turret that Torbjörn would be proud of; the other has a flexible grappling hook.

How do I customize the weapons in Battlefield?

For weapon attachments, Battlefield 2042 uses a Crysis-like menu that lets you adjust the sights, ammo type, muzzle, and underbarrel at the touch of a button in any game situation. An assault rifle that was just meant for range can be transformed into a melee monster at any time with the menu.

How do I make the right decision?

In Vanguard, every player has access to the same kit from which you can build your perfect soldier with the perfect weapon. Here are the game characters as you want them to be.

Battlefield, on the other hand, relies on special characters with their own personalities, traits, and abilities, in addition to spontaneous weapon setup flexibility. So players who prefer to play pre-made favorite characters with special abilities will get their money’s worth here.

4. game speed and number of players

How fast does Vanguard play?

Vanguard is a very fast game. Players move nimbly and quietly, which rewards aggression. You survive only a few bullets: So the time-to-kill in Vanguard is very short. Because you die and kill quickly, good and precise aim reactions are required and rewarded.

Thanks to the short respawns typical of CoD, this results in an almost hypnotizing gameplay loop full of fast-paced action, in which team-oriented communication sometimes seems impossible and unnecessary.

How many players are in a Vanguard match?

A controversial new feature in Vanguard is Combat Pacing: before each match, you can choose between three options that adjust the number of players from the classic 6v6 matches to chaotic battles with up to 48 players. The amount of players is adjusted to the size of the maps. But especially on the smaller maps, it quickly becomes a confusing slaughter.

How big are the matches in Battlefield 2042?

On the PC and next-gen consoles, Battlefield 2042 offers matches with up to 128 players for the first time. This even trumps many Battle Royale. On Xbox One and Playstation 4, however, the player count is limited to 64 players. That corresponds to the previous Battlefield games.

How fast does Battlefield 2042 play?

Due to the large maps, a server rarely feels crowded, but combat distances are very different this way: in close combat, the time-to-kill is very short; at a distance, it pays to rely on shorter bursts of fire.

Respawn times are long here and it’s not uncommon to start far away from any action, which should encourage team play and communication.

How do I make the right decision?

Call of Duty relies on non-stop action with hardly a quiet moment, but on smaller maps and servers. Battlefield is more expansive, offering action in huge proportions followed by quieter periods of planning and positioning.

5. important differences in map design

How do the Vanguard maps play?

Most of the maps at Vanguard’s release follow the tried-and-true and popular three-lane map design: with clearly prescribed lines of sight roughly distributed along three primary paths through the map. You are guided into narrow, highly contested corridors. The lanes often offer different combat distances.

One of the more advertised innovations in Vanguard is also that doors, windows and certain places on walls can be destroyed.

At first glance, this map destruction is less bombastic than comparable options in Battlefield, but it opens up important new lines of sight and routes that can be used to tactical advantage – or can spell doom if you’re not careful.

How do the Battlefield maps play?

In Battlefield 2042, the maps are much larger and more open – both compared to CoD: Vanguard and old Battlefield parts. So even with the character’s high mobility or in a vehicle, it can take a few minutes to get from one firefight to the next.

Importantly, in Battlefield many buildings are almost completely destructible, whether by shelling or natural events like tornadoes. So it can often happen that enemy soldiers shoot at you – or are shot by you – hundreds of meters away.

How do I make the right decision?

The maps in Vanguard are very classic in size and design. While some elements are destructible, the matches don’t differ much from each other. Over time, a gameplay routine develops that feels native and motivates you to play better and better.

EA’s competition, on the other hand, offers gigantic dimensions where even player-independent map elements can drastically change the gameplay. Those who like to improvise and adapt to their circumstances will find it fun.

6. opinions of the fans

What do fans think about Vanguard?

Vanguard relies on franchise strengths as much as possible, which is how it scores points with fans. However, it is also a lot of familiar CoD fare without offering anything majorly new.

What do the fans think about Battlefield 2042?

The latest Battlefield takes big risks with the old familiar structure. For parts of the community, Battlefield 2042 therefore feels “wrong”.

What is to be recognized?

Die-hard CoD fans are happy that Vanguard reminds them of the best parts of the series. Battlefield fans, on the other hand, fear that they won’t get exactly what they wanted.

Conclusion: Both games serve different niches

For a quick overview, we summarize the most important differences in pro/con lists:

The pros and cons of Call of Duty: Vanguard:

The pros and cons of Battlefield 2042:

What can we conclude in summary?

It’s clear that Vanguard again offers mainly arcadey, entertaining action that plays into the cards of lone players. Battlefield, on the other hand, once again focuses on team-oriented, large-scale battles. How both players will develop as service games can only be assumed so far. However, both Activision and EA want to support their respective games in the long run.

How about you guys? What do you prefer? What do you think of the respective innovations and changes compared to the predecessors? Which game will you choose, or will you buy both? Feel free to write us your opinion in the comments.