Battlefield 1942 is now free on Origin
EA is now offering Battlefield 1942 as a free download on Origin. The series' 2002 progenitor is listed in the demos section, but the official site is clear that it's fully free-to-play. The site has also enlisted the surprised/angry medic above to help spread the word: "35 machines of war?! Yeah, that's just what I needed: 35 more problems for me. You know what, why don't you go remove your own damn shrapnel?"
But don't mind him, his face has had a hard day. Go get Battlefield 1942. The textures might offend modern video-graphics consumers, but it remains one of my favorite multiplayer shooters. I've had way more fun standing on the wings of flying planes than I ever have respecting physics in Battlefield 3.
The release is apparently tied to the celebration of Battlefield's 10th anniversary, which was a couple months ago, so it's possible we just missed it. Either way, it's here now.
The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call "boomer shooters" now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that's right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he's focused on the site's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League.