Ever since the Battlefield 2042 reveal trailer dropped, fans have been talking about two things and two things only: penguins and robot dogs. While the penguins form just a small part of the Battlefield world, the robotic dogs play a much more important role.
These cute looking companions are known as Rangers, and today, EA has confirmed that they won’t be tied to a Battlefield 2042 specialist. In other words, absolutely anyone – regardless of which specialist they choose to play as – can opt to call in a Ranger for support at any given time.
There are a limited number of Rangers per game (and you’ll have to choose them over other support options) but when they’re on the ground, they’ll follow you like the good boys they really are, opting to put your life above their own. But that’s not all – you’ll be able to instruct them to do basic things, like scout out a location or self-destruct in front of a group of enemies.
Rangers have been designed with the true Battlefield ethos in mind: to give players options in every situation. With these robots, you can choose to take things slow, scouting out the road ahead, or you could strap a C4 to the poor thing and blow it to high heaven when it infiltrates the enemy back line.
The possibilities with Rangers are endless, but you do have to be careful. The robots can be knocked out by enemy fire, explosives, and EMP grenades – making them a risky choice on the battlefield.
Still, they’re a neat little companion to have by your side, and if they understand basic instructions, who knows? Maybe you’ll be able to pet them. Here’s hoping.
You can preorder Battlefield 2042 here.