Battlefield 2042: How to launch the Orbital rocket and destroy it

One of the defining features of the Orbital map in Battlefield 2042 is its gigantic rocket launch site. Over the course of the Battlefield 2042 beta, many players have spotted the rocket taking off into space, and some have even witnessed it exploding, frying any soldier or vehicle unlucky enough to be nearby with a wave of fiery death.

But exactly how do you launch the rocket, anyway? And how do you destroy it before it reaches the atmosphere? The game doesn't explain the process, but after spending several days with the beta, we've figured out everything you need to know about Orbital's spacecraft. Here's what we know about launching and destroying the rocket.

How to launch and destroy the rocket

When it comes to getting the rocket to launch, there's technically nothing players can do but wait. This is because the launch sequence is completely based off of match time and can't be influenced by players. In our experience, the rocket's launch sequence will begin when around 20 minutes have passed and one or both of the teams have around 500 tickets left. When the rocket's support arms begin to slowly detach and move down, the launch process begins.

At this point, the rocket becomes destructible and can be blown up with heavy weapons like tanks, rockets, and miniguns. Note that small arms fire doesn't appear to do any damage to the rocket. In general, the best way to destroy the rocket is to make use of Battlefield 2042's vehicles. Something that's also important to keep in mind is the fact that the rocket's launch sequence lasts about six minutes. If nobody does enough damage to the rocket in that time, the rocket will successfully launch; if enough damage is done before six minutes pass, the rocket will explode and the surrounding area will be covered with debris.

If you want to try blowing up the rocket yourself, note that the Battlefield 2042 beta download is live and that the beta is currently open to all players until Oct. 10, 2021. There's a chance that it could end up being one of the best Xbox shooters ever, so we recommend giving the game a try.