Battlefield 2042 Isn't The Sequel You Expected

EA has just released "Exodus," a brand new short film tying into the upcoming "Battlefield 2042," and it revealed quite a bit about the story behind the game. In particular, the "Exodus" short film has dropped a bomb on fans with the reappearance of a few characters from previous entries in the series.

Beware of spoilers ahead for "Battlefield 2042" and the "Exodus" short film.

Kimble Graves, a.k.a. "Irish," was the main character from "Battlefield 4." And much to the surprise of fans, he's the center character of the short film. Meanwhile, Clatyon "Pac" Pakowski, one of Irish's squad mates in "Battlefield 4," also makes a surprise reappearance in "Exodus." After being taken captive, Pac ends up sacrificing himself to save Irish's son.

The inclusion of these characters is a real surprise, considering it's been a few entries since anyone has seen them. Since "Battlefield 4" was released, fans have gotten both the confusingly-named "Battlefield 1" and "Battlefield 5," making the setting of the new game a direct sequel to a story that played out two entries before. 

Here's what "Exodus" has revealed about the unexpected sequel ties, as well as the fate of one of the "Battlefield" series' most popular characters.

The story in "Exodus" picks up after some time has passed from "Battlefield 4." Things are very different: governments have crumbled, the world is a flooded mess, and Irish is no longer a Marine. Instead, he's protecting a boat of refugees in the midst of skirmishes that eventually erupt into all-out war.

In stark contrast to the new game's futuristic setting, "Battlefield 5" went back in time to World War 2, and the playable stories in the game were set in that time period. The story mode of "Battlefield 1" followed a similar model before that. Irish's appearance is doing more than just getting fans excited for the upcoming campaign in the game — it's making it even more clear that "Battlefield 2042" is meant to be a return to form for the series. 

While the next chapter in the series is leaving out a single-player mode, the game does have an overarching storyline. The inclusion of Irish gives longtime fans even more of a reason to care about where the world has ended up when "Battlefield 2042" begins.

"Battlefield 2042" will be releasing on October 22, 2021 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox 1, Xbox X|S, and PC via Microsoft Windows.