DICE announce Battlefield 1, new game to feature a WW1 setting

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Yesterday, DICE and EA revealed the next instalment in their Battlefield franchise will be set during WW1.

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By Liam Andrews

@pass_controller

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Revealed via a livestream, Battlefield 1 will take players to a theatre largely unexplored in gaming, and they’ll get to go hands on with all manner of weapons, tech and vehicles from the early 20th Century in what DICE describe as “the birth of modern warfare”.

Check out the impressive reveal trailer below.

When it comes to multiplayer, one of the defining features of Battlefield has always been the vehicular combat, and Battlefield 1 looks to continue this trend by giving players access to battleships, bi-planes, the first ever tanks, and even cavalry, with up to 64 players supported in massive online battles.

Battlefield 1 will also feature a Persistent Squad System, meaning four players can form a squad and enter matchmaking as a team to be certain they’ll be playing together. 

As well as the expected bolt-action rifles, artillery, and bayonets, some of the other weapons available will include flamethrowers, spiked melee clubs, shovels, rapiers and early machine guns.

The game will also make use of gas masks to counter mustard gas attacks, or players can avoid the hazardous chemicals altogether by trying to find another path around them.

There’s even a soldier wearing what appears to be plate armour and wielding a machine gun briefly seen during the trailer.

Despite WW1 being largely known for trench warfare, DICE say Battlefield 1’s campaign will feature a number of war zones from across the world, from close-quarters urban warfare in French villages, to more open areas such as the Italian alps and the Arabian desert.

DICE Senior Producer Aleksander Grøndal had this to say about Battlefield 1:

“The game will deliver a fresh experience full of what makes Battlefield great, with a multiplayer sandbox, immersion, epic scale, authenticity, team play and an ever-changing world full of unexpected Battlefield moments. We’re inviting players on an epic journey across a war-torn world, taking them to the Great War and providing something both varied and unique in Battlefield 1.”

An open beta was also confirmed for the game, although not when it would take place. DICE are, however, offering early access to the beta to people who sign up to their Battlefield Insider program.

Those attending the upcoming EA Play events, taking place on 12 June in Los Angeles and London, will get to see the first public gameplay footage of Battlefield 1, as well as getting the chance to go hands on with DICE’s shooter for themselves.

A Collector’s Edition of the game is already on sale which includes a statue, steel book, cloth poster, playing cards, an exclusive patch and a messenger pigeon tube with exclusive DLC content.

There’s also an Early Enlisters Deluxe Edition for those who want to play the game three days ahead of release. Other bonuses for this edition include the Red Baron Pack, Laurence of Arabia Pack, Harlem Hellfighter Pack and three vehicle skins.

Anyone with an EA Access or Origins Access will also be granted early access to the game for a limited time.

Battlefield 1 will release on 21 October on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. Let us know your thoughts on the game over in the forums.

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