PSA: How to play Bad Company 2 (PC) online after the shutdown
- Go to Venice Unleashed and create an account.
- Download Project Rome.
- Unzip the file in the game's root directory, which is one of these four depending on where you got the game from:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\Battlefield Bad Company 2 < Disc version
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Battlefield Bad Company 2 < Steam version
C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Battlefield Bad Company 2 < Origin version
C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Games\Battlefield Bad Company 2 < EA App version
- Start up the game and login with the account you created at Venice Unleashed. Enjoy!
IMPORTANT: Reshade and Project Rome do NOT work together, as in the game refuses to even launch with both enabled. Uninstall Reshade after adding the Project Rome files. It's possible there is a fix or workaround, but I have been unable to find one so far.
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FAQ:
Q: I bought the Steam version but have no license key. Will I be able to play online?
A: Yes! With the non-disc versions, you only need the serial key to create an account. Project Rome, however, does NOT require a serial key for this.
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Q: Why is the server list empty?
A: Press Search. Unlike in newer Battlefield titles, the servers won't show up automatically.
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Q: I get kicked due to PunkBuster issues.
A: Go to https://www.evenbalance.com/pbsetup.php and download PBSetup. Open it, choose Select Game, then add Bad Company 2. It should automatically start updating your PunkBuster files, but if not, select the Update PunkBuster option. This process will take a while, usually ~2 minutes. Afterwards, close the program and you're good to go!
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Q: What is Project Rome?
A: Project Rome is a community-made master server. A master server holds login info, server list, and soldier data. What this file does is to tell your game to use the Project Rome master server instead of EA's.
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Q: Will this really allow me to play online post-shutdown?
A: Yes. As Project Rome is its own master server, it's not reliant on EA.
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Q: Will my old stats transfer?
A: Unfortunately, no. As Project Rome is separate from EA's master server, your soldier data is too. You'll be creating a new soldier. Thankfully, everything is unlocked including the Vietnam DLC, regardless of whether you own the DLC or not.
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Q: What about BC1/BF1943?
A: Sadly, it seems we're out of luck with these two old gems. Unless someone can figure something out, but given that the games are on console, options are limited (if not outright impossible). Enjoy them while you still can!
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Q: What if I play BC2 on console?
A: Unfortunately you're out of luck, as this only works for the PC version of BC2. In that case I would recommend purchasing the game on PC while you still can, as the game will be delisted from digital stores on 28 April:
Buy BC2 on EA App
Buy BC2 on Steam
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Q: I've heard the old BF games got shut down back in 2014, is there a way to play them online too?
A: Yes, there is!
Posted Mar 23, 2023, 6:30 AM UTC · edited