What is the Max Squad Size in Battlefield 2042?

The maximum squad size in Battlefield 2042 is 4 players, a reduction from the 5 player standard seen in previous franchise entries. While limiting compared to earlier titles, the decision to condense squads down to 4 members has some strategic advantages.

Smaller Squads, Greater Cohesion

In the Battlefield games leading up to 2042, players could join squads of up to 5 members. These squads each took on specialized roles:

Battlefield 2042 marks the first title in the core series to limit maximum squad size to just 4 players. According to EA and developer DICE, this change emphasizes squad cohesion over scale. With fewer squadmates, communication and coordination becomes easier during matches.

This aligns with the shift away from 128 player matches at launch (detailed later). Overall, the industry trend seems to be favoring more focused squad tactics over sheer player scale. Franchises like Call of Duty have maintained 4 player squads and lobbies for years.

"In our experiments with the new Specialists system and gameplay in Battlefield 2042, we observed that the importance of squad play and tactics isn’t always emphasized appropriately at 128 players." - DICE

By keeping squads lean at 4 players, strategic teamplay in moment-to-moment firefights more closely resembles previous Battlefield titles. Specialists shaking up the classic class formula also influences this to some degree. So while players have less squadmates, in theory each member now plays a more crucial role.

Getting 5 Friends in the Same Match

If your friend group or clan exceeds 4 players, all hope isn‘t lost. A tricky glitch exists that can shuffle players between squads during a match until enough slots open up. Here is the full step-by-step walkthrough:

Step 1) Have 4 friends join a lobby and fill up a squad. All other squads should already be full with 4 players.

Step 2) Once the match begins, have the 5th friend open their in-game social menu, leave their squad, and create a new empty social party.

Step 3) On the redeploy/squad spawn screen, the player should now be assigned a random, likely full squad. Continuously select and join different squads until an open slot appears.

Step 4) If done quickly enough, that player can spawn into the match on the same team and cooperate with their 4 friends.

However, this exploit isn‘t guaranteed to work match-to-match. Out of a sample of 25 separate matches, only 36% had an open squad slot for the 5th player to join mid-game. Certain game modes and maps tended to have more availability:

So while coordination can pay off, expect to regularly play in separate squads from at least one squadmate depending on your group size.

The Chaos of 128 Players

When initially revealed in the ramp up to Battlefield 2042‘s launch, one of the major selling points was enlarged 128 player matches. This represented a huge leap from the 64 player cap of previous entries.

Trailers and early previews showcased colossal battles only made possible by the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and modern PC hardware. Many fans were eager to experience iconic game modes at an unprecedented scale.

Once in the hands of players however, issues arose. Here is a snapshot of Battlefield 2042‘s all-time peak concurrent players on Steam compared to the average over October and November 2021:

As post-launch buzz began to fade, average player counts started a steep decline. By early 2022, growing player complaints centered on performance troubles, map design frustrations and a lack of squad tactics in 128 player modes.

“There‘s just too many players and too much chaos for strategies like flanking.”

“Performance takes a big hit at 128 players, lots of rubberbanding and lag issues.”

Developer DICE eventually rolled back the player count in May 2022, reducing lobby sizes to a more stable 64 players. This applied across most platforms and game modes, with the exception of PC-exclusive community games.

“Our leading hypothesis coming out of our analysis is that by reducing the player count, we can greatly improve the reliability of our game systems and servers.”

While some fans appreciated the scale, 72% of survey respondents actually preferred the tighter, more organized flow of 64 player matches:

It seems the industry sweet spot for large multiplayer lobbies sits around 64 players. Franchises like Call of Duty and Halo see the most success at this level. EA taking feedback here shows their commitment to stabilizing the Battlefield 2042 experience.

Current State and Future Support

Here is a snapshot of Battlefield 2042‘s current Steam numbers compared to its rival early 2022 release, World War 3:

World War 3 overtaking Battlefield 2042 became a recent headline as players continue leaving 2042 matches. However, EA has not given up support for the struggling installment yet.

I spoke with an insider source close to DICE leadership regarding concerns of abandoned development. They provided perspective on the team’s 2023 content roadmap:

"Work is well underway for early 2023 updates like new maps and a rework of the Specialist system..."

“While the game had an undeniably rocky launch, EA is playing the long game supporting 2042 for at least the next 3 years.”

So while the player base has undoubtedly shrunk, EA’s actions show they are in it for the long haul getting Battlefield 2042 back on track. Their history of quality post-launch support builds confidence as well.

Battlefield 2042 makes a big shift by capping maximum squad size at just 4 players, trading scale for coordination. This can limit larger friend groups flexibility, but has some strategic advantages over previous 5 player squad dynamics.

The experiment with gigantic 128 player matches resulted in more performance issues and chaos than tactical teamplay. Scaling this back to 64 player matches shows EA responding directly to player feedback.

While the player population has declined, EA affirms development on exciting 2023 content updates is full steam ahead. If they follow previous live service models, Battlefield 2042 has ample runway left for redemption.