Electronic Arts finally took the veil of Battlefield 5. Today, DICE gave some details about the co-op, campaign, multiplayer, and a few of the game’s systems. It comes out on PS4, Xbox One, and PC on October 11th for EA Access and Origin Access members (Xbox One and PC only), October 16th for Deluxe Edition owners, and October 19th for everyone else. People who pre-order get access to the beta at a later date.
Multiplayer
DICE stated there will be no premium pass. This means maps and modes will be free and cosmetics will be earned through gameplay. However, users will be able to buy cosmetics with real money or in-game currency that can be earned while playing. DICE said this was something the players wanted, which makes sense after the Star Wars: Battlefront 2 loot box debacle.
As YouTuber JackFrags pointed out, players can customize their soldier’s gender, facepaint, outfit, accessories, and more. Weapons and vehicles can also be customized and the game separates visual and gameplay customization. Players will also be able to customize any of the four classes (assault, medic, assault, and support) and specialize in certain areas like stealth. Specialized archetypes called exotics allow players to focus in one specific area. One exotic grants players a silenced SMG, quiet footsteps, a garrote, and more sneaky options.
Grand Operations was the big mode they discussed. This 64-player mode takes place over four in-game days. The objectives change from day to day and your team’s performance can impact the next mode. For example, if you win one day, you could have more ammo on the next day. However, if there is no clear winner by day four, the game turns into a Final Stand mode, where the last person standing wins. It sounds suspiciously like a battle royale mode but DICE, unlike Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, did not call it that.
The Tides of War is also a big addition. It’s part of the game’s attempt at a live service since it will update and give players new overarching chapters and questlines that can yield “unique items and cosmetics.” This mode will give new maps, modes, and limited-time experiences.
There are also a handful of other changes and improvements. You dive in different directions like in Rainbow 6: Siege and burst out windows without shooting them first. It is also now possible to throw back grenades and sprint while crouching. Regardless of class, squadmates can revive you, which now has a full animation and does not give the player full health. Also health does not automatically regenerate.
Fortifications allow players to reinforce destroyed buildings, build foxholes, barbed wire, set up sandbags, and more. Only supports can build offensive defensive fortifications like cannons and machine guns.
Co-op
Co-op returns to the series in Battlefield 5. Called Combined Arms, up to four players can squad up in an “all-or-nothing online co-op that will test vets and new recruits alike.” DICE explained that it was a harsh game that emphasized team survival and getting caught could mean death. Resource scarcity makes the stakes high is “yet another way to experience that Battlefield sandbox.” It has a dynamic mission creator with random objectives.
Campaign
DICE did not reveal much about the campaign. However, it will be told through the War Stories format from Battlefield 1. DICE said they wanted to put the war into perspective and set context for the humans in it. One story will put players in the boots of a Norwegian resistance soldier as she fights against the Nazi occupation during World War II.
