At a preview event for Battlefield V’s battle royale mode, Firestorm, EA Dice revealed three more content chapters will launch in 2019 as part of “Tides of War.” The updates will bring new game modes, maps, “weekly experiences,” and more, kicking off today with ‘Trial by Fire.’
Speaking in a presentation, EA Dice’s Ryan MacArthur acknowledged that the critical reception to Battlefield V was a mixed bag. He spoke of the team working tirelessly to make improvements to the game since launch. Now that they’re happy with where the game’s technical performance and balancing, it’s now time to look forward and flesh out the base package with new content.
As part of their effort to “live up to the live service promise they made (to fans),” Dice is rolling out Trial by Fire today. This third chapter for the game is the most ambitious and largest chapter to date.
Along with a huge number of performance and balancing tweaks, new map locations are coming to the game, such as ‘Invade Greece,’ a map that focuses on asymmetrical warfare, is set in Crete, as well as “Mercury,” a map based on Operation Mercury.
Further down the road, Trial by Fire will bring a new mode called Outpost. Newly created for Tides of War, in which players will fight to control territories and collect resources.
One new feature for Battlefield that is set to arrive with chapter 3 is “weekly experiences.” There’s no official name for them as yet, but the idea is that Dice wants to try to drive value for the game create new ways to experience Battlefield. We’re expecting something similar to challenge objectives that feed into the game’s progression mechanics.
One example we were given of a weekly experience is one codenamed Fortress, a siege type of experience where you attack/hold or build deep defenses.
A duos mode will also come to Firestorm during Chapter 3, as well as updates to Combined Arms, bringing new matchmaking, hardcore mode, and two missions on Fjell.
In June, Chapter 4 will roll out. Called Defying the Odds it will shift the experience to a smaller tactical and more strategic style of gameplay. It is said to move away from wide open spaces to “up close and personal” type of experiences. Players can expect to journey further into Greece with two new maps, one officially called ‘Marita.’
There will be a second map in chapter 4 which is said to be one that will bring “new experiences to excite BF veterans.” Details are short so far but we were told to expect “a new imagining of an old friend.”
In the fall, Chapter 5 will launch. Apparently, it is the biggest chapter of any yet in the game. We weren’t told a great deal, except that while the focus is on content, it is very much about shifting the meta of the game. Dice will reveal more in the coming months, including a new theatre, new ways to play, and a completely different feel from conventional Battlefield altogether.
Here’s the full breakdown:
Chapter 3
- New Map – Mercury (based on Operation Mercury)
- New Mode – Outpost (we’re waiting on some more content to go live that talks about this in more detail. Will come back and update this thread when it’s live!)
- Updates to Combined Arms, bringing new matchmaking, hardcore mode, and two missions on Fjell
- Introduction of Duos to Firestorm
Chapter 4
- Introducing new CQC Content – a new 5v5 mode, in specially designed arenas
- Two New Maps – one called Marita, adding to the conflict in Greece, and the second being a closely guarded secret that we know our
- Battlefield Veterans will enjoy! (We were told it was codenamed Calamas).
- We’ll have a lot more to say about Chapter 4 at EA Play this Summer
Chapter 5
- A completely new Theater of War
Check out the official graphic below:
For more on new Battlefield V content, you can read about our impressions of Battlefield V Firestorm, our interview with Critereon Producer Arthur Rohart, or our full analysis of the Firestorm map and its size.
