Set in the World of Battlefield 2042, Short Film Exodus Premieres on August 12

Battlefield 2042 is set in the near future where climate change has fuelled a global collapse and the world is filled with stateless non-patriated soldiers. Beginning August 12, a new short film titled Exodus will depict the “events that will trigger an all-out war” and explain why they’re all fighting for what little is left.

The film tells the story of journalist Kayvan Bechir who is attached to one of the units that’s part of the conflict. DICE released a short teaser trailer for the film today and promised to reveal the game’s locations in the days leading up to the film’s premiere at 8am PDT on August 12.

According to the game, 2042 will be a time where rising sea levels, desertification and a string of climate disasters have completely altered the layout of the world. Economies have collapsed and the European Union has been disbanded, completely changing the world’s political landscape. With many people becoming refugees as their homes are destroyed or left completely uninhabitable, two superpowers (the US and Russia) are battling to be the one in charge of what remains and many of the stateless No-Pats have been left to pick a side. There’s a lot there for the film to pick apart and explore.

Battlefield 2042 will come with three different multiplayer experiences. As well as the standard All Out Warfare modes like Domination and Team Deathmatch, there will also be the newly revealed Battlefield Portal that lets players create their own custom sandbox experiences that can include content from previous titles like Battlefield 1942, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and Battlefield 3. Finally there will be a mode called Hazard Zone. This is yet to be unveiled but is rumored to be the game’s free-to-play element.

Battlefield 2042 launches on October 22, but those that want to try the game before then can join in with the open beta that begins at 1am PT on September 6. Those who pre-order the game or have an EA Play subscription will be able to access the beta two days early at 1am PT on September 4.