10 'Titanfall 2' tips for those who struggle with multiplayer (2024)

There's fast and then there's Titanfall 2.

Respawn Entertainment's latest is a rewarding game to master, but the pace of all that wall-running-mech-shooting-double-jumping action can be dizzying. In a game where stuff like this happens, just keeping up often feels like a victory.

We can't show you how to win, but we can clue you in to some unclear game mechanics and popular strategies. It's easy to get overwhelmed quickly in Titanfall 2, so just taking a little time to learn how the game works ought to improve your play.

1. How to level up your profile

You get more stuff in Titanfall 2 as you level up your profile. Unlike other multiplayer games, however, this one skips experience points in favor of a Merit-based system.

It works like this: every match you play and every unlock you level up -- Titans, weapons and factions -- earns you Merits. You'll get one for winning a match, another for earning a "Good Performance" badge and more for leveling up whatever you have equipped.

Each profile level requires you to earn a certain number of Merits. Unlike XP-based leveling -- where the 20,000 XP you need to earn for your next level can come from any number of sources -- Merits are tied to specific achievements, like leveling up your gun or surviving the evac phase of a losing match a certain number of times.

2. Switch up your loadouts, especially early on

Understanding how Merits work makes it easier to juice the system.

Even early on before you've unlocked anything, Titanfall 2 offers players a diverse spread of weapons and Titans to choose from. These, along with your faction allegiance, level up independently of the Merit system as you use them. And the higher their level, the more their progression slows.

So mix it up. Try different loadouts in your early hours with Titanfall 2 multiplayer. Not only will it help you discover the setup that works for your play style, it'll also earn you easy Merits as you climb through the first few levels for each piece of gear.

3. Join networks and play during Happy Hour

"Networks" are Titanfall 2's take on clans. They're groups of players that align themselves under a particular banner. You can join a new Network at any time; in gameplay terms, it primarily affects how matchmaking groups you up with other people.

Each Network has a one-hour block of the day designated as its Happy Hour. If you start and finish a match inside that window, you automatically earn a 5-Merit bonus. The bonus can only be claimed once per day, per network.

If nothing else, make sure you jump online and get your Happy Hour bonus on any given day. But if you really want to game the system, try hopping between different networks and grabbing the bonus multiple times.

Each Network's Happy Hour time is listed in the profile that you can view from the Network Browse menu. So just hop around between the different groups and rake in all the Merits you can handle.

4. Spend your Credits wisely

Separate from Merits are Credits, a Titanfall 2 currency that you can use to unlock Titans, weapons and other gear because you naturally unlock them by leveling up. Earning Merits and completing challenges -- effectively, playing the game -- earns you a slow drip of Credits.

Since this currency accrues slowly, it's important to be smart about how you spend it. You might really want that Legion Titan, which only costs 25 Credits, but Legion unlocks at level 15.

Browse through the Pilot and Titan customization menus and look for stuff that you want to play with. Then look at when it unlocks. If you don't get it until you're level 25 or higher, fine, spend the Credits. If not, just be patient and keep browsing.

5. Play the mode

Leveling up gives you more tools to play with, but you want to get better at the game. The first thing you should do: whenever you're in a multiplayer match, make sure you play the mode.

What that means is, stick to the objectives. If you're playing something like Attrition or Bounty Hunt, all kills are worth your time. Pilots and Titans are worth the most, of course, but AI-controlled Grunts and Spectres also earn your team points.

Likewise, if you're playing a mode like Amped Hardpoint, don't worry so much about kills. Capture and hold locations, and fend off any threats, but don't go off hunting for a body count.

Remember: good play and winning matches earn you more Merits, and those help you level up faster. So follow the rules and help your team win instead of just trying to shoot all the things (unless that's what the mode calls for).

5. Order your Titan around

Just like the original game, the Titans of Titanfall 2 have the ability to act on their own when you're not in direct control. Pressing down on the D-pad whenever your Titan is in play but not under your command cycles between Guard mode and Follow mode.

Guard mode is useful for defensive scenarios, such as holding a flag in Amped Hardpoint or keeping enemy Titans and Pilots busy during an evac phase. Get your Titan to the position you want to defend and activate Guard mode. Easy.

Follow mode works just the way it sounds. Turn it on and your Titan will do its best to follow you. It'll still engage any enemy it sees, but it automatically prioritizes sticking close to its Pilot.

6. Rodeo enemy Titans

You "rodeo" a Titan when you leap your Pilot onto its back. With friendly Titans, that just means you have a higher, mobile view of the battlefield. Rodeo an enemy Titan, however, and you'll try to steal one of its batteries.

Batteries give life to Titans, so stealing one essentially saps away a portion of its health. Successfully swiping a battery also gives your own Titan charging meter a big boost.

Once you're carrying a battery -- look for the green icon at the bottom of the screen -- beeline your way to a friendly Titan and rodeo it. Doing so automatically plugs in the stolen battery, boosting your ally's health. You can also recover health for your own Titan by re-embarking while you're carrying a battery.

Just make sure to watch for threats. It's suicide to rodeo an enemy Titan if it's surrounded by backup. Similarly, if you suddenly find yourself taking damage while extracting a battery, just leap away. The battery extraction animation can be interrupted at any time, so don't be shy about escaping if you need to.

7. Counter-rodeo enemy Pilots

Your Titan will almost always warn you when an enemy Pilot is trying to make off with one of your batteries. Fortunately, you have a few counter-measures available.

The most effective of those is your Titan's electrified smoke. If an enemy Pilot leaps onto your Titan, stop moving and release the smoke. You should immediately see telltale hit markers in your aiming reticle that let you know your attacker is taking damage.

Even if you don't have your smoke ready, stop moving when you're boarded if there are allies nearby. It's much harder to shoot or melee an enemy off your back if your Titan is in constant motion.

If all else fails and none of these options are available, disembark and shoot the attacking Pilot yourself. They might have enough time to snag your battery, but you can recover and reinstall it if you can gun them down before they get away.

8. Remap your controls

This primarily applies for those playing Titanfall 2 on a console or with a controller. Change the game's "Default" button layout to either Bumper Jumper or Evolved.

By default, Titanfall 2's jump command is on the X button (PlayStation 4 controller). That's a standard control scheme for this sort of game, but it's not ideal because of all the wall-running.

With Bumper Jumper or Evolved, your jump button shifts to the L1 shoulder button. That allows you to jump and hold the button for wall-runs while also still having full access to your weapons and tactical ability.

It definitely takes a little getting used to, but it's worth learning if you want to be a more effective Titanfall 2 Pilot.

9. Pistols are basically useless

In Titanfall 2 you have to choose between an anti-Titan weapon or a pistol in your secondary weapon slot. Go for the former.

Pistols may have value if you're a sniper and you need something to deal with close-quarters threats, but that's pretty much it. Titans are the biggest threat on the battlefield and your primary weapons are ineffective against them.

You can do more damage by stealing batteries, but it's not always easy to get close to an enemy Titan. Especially when you're facing a group of them. Anti-Titan weapons allow you to damage these larger threats and then move out of sight before they can spot you.

What's more, damaging enemy Titans fills up your own Titan charge meter rapidly. The more you damage enemy Titans, the faster you can use one.

10. Watch the Titan briefings

There are six different Titans to choose from in Titanfall 2, and each one brings its own strengths and drawbacks to the battlefield. Using them is the best way to learn them, but not the only way.

Head to the Titan customization menu and open up the loadout for any Titan you've unlocked. At the bottom of the screen you'll see a button prompt for "View Titan Briefing." Press that button to watch a brief video showing how each of your selected Titan's abilities look in action.

Chances are you'll just need to watch each of these once. But it's much better to see how your Titan performs before you call it down and take control in the heat of a match.