Battlefield 2042's first major narrative reveal includes a returning character from Battlefield 4 who will feature as a playable specialist in the upcoming title.
Exodus, the short film released by EA and Dice, provides a closer look at the events that lead up to the start of the No-Pat civil war in Battlefield 2042. The cinematic reunites fans with Kimble Graves, an old friend of the series more commonly known as Irish who will return as a playable No-Pat Specialist in the game.
Irish, played by Michael K. Williams, is the fifth specialist to be revealed for Battlefield 2042 add will join a roster of other characters including Canadian-born Webster Mackay, veteran medic Maria Falck, expert engineer Pyotr "Boris" Guskovsky, and lone wolf Wikus "Casper" Van Daele.
As with all of the playable specialists that Dice has released for Battlefield 2042, Irish will enter the game equipped with his own gadget and trait. Fans opting to play as the experienced soldier will have access to a fortification system and a veteran trait which could both come in useful during tricky encounters. In addition to the current roster, Dice has confirmed that it is set to debut five more specialists amongst the game's ranks before it launches on October 15.
In the new cinematic, the warship Exodus is rerouted to London with Irish on board. Amongst the other members of the crew is journalist Kayvan Bechir who joins the warship following a 13-month stint embedded amongst the No-Pats. Reports from Bechir's undercover operation can be read on the Battlefield 2042 website where he reveals a range of details about the game's lore.
According to Bechir's reports, the year 2042 sees tensions rise between the US and Russia. The two countries are on the brink of all-out war after the world's resources are stretched to the breaking point and many other nations have collapsed as a result. From the ashes of those fallen nations, Battlefield 2042 introduces us to the No-Pats – a group of nomads who onlookers believe have bound together in the hopes of survival. Despite the speculation surrounding the No-Pats commonalities, Bechir reveals in his reports that they are actually a divided group with conflicting interests.
In addition to Irish, Exodus also sees the reveal of the ominous No-Pat leader, Oz, a new character to the series who hopes to unify the divided groups of No-Pat survivors. In the short animated film, we see Irish and Oz clash in an exchange that seemingly sows the seeds of conflict set to take place in Battlefield 2042's upcoming multiplayer-only narrative.
Fans are likely to find out more about Battlefield 2042's gritty narrative as Dice releases more of its additional playable specialists in the lead-up to the game's launch. For more on Battlefield 2042, why not check out this piece detailing everything you need to know about the game's new portal system.
Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.