Battlefield 2042’s fifth Specialist character is a familiar face

Battlefield 2042 has revealed its fifth Specialist alongside its short film, “Exodus,” and the character is a familiar face to longtime fans of the franchise.

Kimble “Irish” Graves from Battlefield 4 (played by The Wire‘s Michael K. Williams) is not only the central character in “Exodus,” but he’s also Battlefield 2042‘s fifth Specialist. According to the game’s official website, Irish is the commander of the Specialists aboard the ship that serves as the short film’s namesake.

“Having seen the cost of war first hand as a former Marine, this skilled engineer is dedicated to protecting both his squad as well as those who cannot fight for themselves,” the website states.

As a reminder, Battlefield 2042‘s Specialist system is replacing the series’ traditional class system. Serving in the engineer role, Irish’s unique gadget is a fortification system. The former Marine can set up a DCS Deployable Cover system that protects from bullets and explosives, as well as an APS-36 Shootdown Sentinel that will take down incoming explosive projectiles. His trait is Veteran, which provides armor as well as additional bonuses from downed enemies.

It’s unclear how this armor system will work, although it will likely provide Irish with the ability to withstand a couple of more hits before going down. Before there are cries of “overpowered,” it sounds like Irish will have to at least down an enemy and acquire armor from their bodies, meaning he’ll have to get into the thick of battle to gain an advantage.

Along with introducing Irish to the world of Battlefield 2042, “Exodus” also seemed to set up the narrative behind the game’s third, unrevealed game mode, Hazard Zone.

In “Exodus,” an American satellite is set to crash in Doha, Qatar—the setting for the game’s Hourglass map—and the Russians want to intercept it, which will start World War III. Going against the orders of No-Pat leader Oz, Irish puts a call out to No-Pats everywhere to acquire that intel before the Russians can get their hands on it. Our best guess is that Hazard Zone will have multiple squads of player-controlled No-Pats battling to retrieve the intel while dozens of Russian bots try to get there first.

You can watch the 9-minute short film (with full voice and motion-capture performance from Williams) below. “Exodus” also takes place partly in a London submerged in water, which could be a hint at one of the game’s post-launch maps.

Battlefield 2042 launches on October 22nd for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Pre-ordering the game will also secure you a legendary “Battle Hardened” skin for Irish.