How to Control Ranger and Recon Drones

Drones are special devices or platforms that can be remotely or independently operated by players in Battlefield 2042. Read on to learn about each Drone and what they can do for the team, as well as how to control them on the Battlefield!

How to Control Drones

Ranger

Command	Control
	Playstation / XBOX	PC
Proceed to Location	/	Q
Follow	+ +	Q + Q
Self-Destruct	/ (Hold)	Q (Hold)

The Ranger is the lone Drone that anyone can operate regardless of their used Specialist. It takes the form of a dog and can fire machine gun rounds into any enemy that it detects, and can be called on the field through the Call-In System.

To give the Ranger Commands, players will need to open the Ping Menu by holding down the Square Button (Playstation), X Button (XBOX), or the Q Key (PC) and issue the commands from there.

Proceed to Location

To order the Ranger forward to a location, aim at the spot where you wish the Ranger to go first before pressing issuing the command. A ping marker will appear over the location you pointed at, with the Ranger moving towards it soon after.

This command is useful when you want to lock down a part of the area with the Ranger while being free to move around in other parts of that location.

Follow Command

The following command is used to summon your Ranger back to you, where it will obediently follow the player around wherever they move. However, the Ranger may move off on its own from time to time if it spots an enemy, where it will use its gun to shoot at them.

Moving away from the Ranger in this situation will cause it to run back to you.

Self Destruct

A quick way to execute enemies in a fortified position is by sending the Drone towards them. Simply point the Drone in the direction of enemies and use the Ping Menu to order its destruction, which will cause an explosion that can gravely injure or kill enemies.

Casper's Recon Drone

Command	Control
	Playstation / XBOX	PC
Ascend Descend	/ /	Spacebar Left Control
Zoom / EMP Lock	/	Right Mouse Button
Fire EMP	/	Left Mouse Button
Movement		W, A, S, D
Look		Mouse Movement

Unlike the Ranger Drone, the OV-P Recon Drone is only available when using the Specialist Casper. It is deployed similarly to how you make use of other Specialists' Specialty and can be directly controlled, unlike the Ranger which has its independent tendencies.

Casper Specialist Class Guide | Best Loadouts and Best Teammates

Enemy Spotter

As a tool used primarily for Recon, the OV-P can effectively spot enemies from a decent 30 to 40 feet away from enemies. This places a marker above the enemy's heads, which also reveals their location to nearby teammates.

Kills registered by teammates on these tagged opponents will count as an assist for the player controlling the drone.

Disable Vehicles

Whenever enemy vehicles are bearing down on the player, they can use the drone to disable them temporarily. This can be done by moving the drone to 10 to 15 feet away from the target vehicle, locking on it, and firing its onboard EMP system to disable the vehicle's weapons. This allows the player or their teammates to make moves to maneuver around or destroy the enemy.

What Are Drones?

Player Controlled or Automated Platforms

Drones are generally unmanned equipment that can function independently, although some drones will require the input of the player for them to function.

Drone Types

Currently, there are only two types of Drones that can be used in-game with the Ranger and the OV-P Recon Drone. These two drones occupy Combat and Recon roles respectively, with the Ranger capable of independent behavior and the Recon Drone requiring direct player control and is locked to the Specialist Casper.

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Tips and Tricks