Battlefield V is official, and it's set to be the biggest Battlefield title to date. The hugely popular first-person shooter has gone from strength to strength in recent years with titles like Battlefield 1 while competitors like Call of Duty struggle to entice players back, and it's set to be a similar story in 2018.
We now know much more about Battlefield V and what to expect from the upcoming shooter following the release of a new trailer that showcases new mechanics and the first details about the upcoming Battle Royale mode, Firestorm. Here, we outline the release date, platform availability and gameplay details, along with showcasing the latest gameplay and cinematic trailers.
For more information, check out our hands-on review of Battlefield V where we discuss gameplay from both E3 and Gamescom.
Battlefield V release date
Though Battlefield V was originally slated for release on 19 October 2018, EA announced in late-August that the highly-anticipated game would be delayed by a month, until 20 November 2018. It makes sense, as October is packed with huge game releases including the likes of Red Dead Redemption 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. Pushing the date back by a month allows Battlefield V to stand out more, and get the recognition that it deserves (though this isn't the reason provided by DICE General Manager, Oskar Gabrielson).
You'll be able to play it early if you pick up the Deluxe Edition or subscribe to EA/Origin Access. Origin subscribers will get first access on 12 November 2018, followed by those that pick up the Deluxe Edition on 17 November 2018.
Those interested in playing early can sign up to EA Access here, or pick up Battlefield V: Deluxe Edition from Microsoft (£79.99) or Origin (£69.99). Of course, you could always wait a few more days and pick up the standard edition of Battlefield V, available for pre-order from GAME (£54.99) in the UK, and GameStop ($59.99) in the US.
If you can’t wait, take a look at our selection of the best FPS games right now.
Battlefield V platforms
What about platforms? Where will prospective players be able to access the upcoming Battlefield title? As confirmed by EA at the reveal event, Battlefield V will be available to play on PS4, Xbox One and PC. There was some speculation that this could've been the first Battlefield title to come to the Nintendo Switch (especially with the recent introduction of 'cloud version' Switch games in Japan) but it sadly doesn't seem to be the case.
EA also announced that it's working with the Nvidia team on the PC port of the game. Along with providing support for standard GeForce features, Nvidia will work alongside developers to integrate the real-time ray tracing features included on the new GeForce RTX 2080, which will build realistic reflections into every surface of the game world - for players with a compatible graphics card.
Battlefield V gameplay
Following the May 2018 reveal and subsequent release of Battlefield V trailers, we now know a lot more about what to expect in terms of gameplay, and boy, it's set to be a good'un.
It'll feature a single-player campaign
With Treyarch ditching a campaign in favour of a Battle Royale in this year's Call of Duty title, many assumed that it'd be the same with Battlefield V. Thankfully, it's not the case; the War Stories campaign from Battlefield 1 resonated well with players and the company received overwhelmingly positive feedback about it, prompting them to use the same format in Battlefield V.
While details of the campaign are still scarce, the anthology-esque campaign will cover stories from soldiers around the world, from the freezing wastelands of Norway to the dry heat of North Africa and the luscious expanse of the French countryside. One story that was teased is said to follow the story of a Norwegian resistance fighter desperately trying to protect her family against the 1943 German occupation.
There will be five war stories in total, with one being released post-launch:
Prologue
Nordlys
Tirailleur
Under No Flag
The Last Tiger
Battle Royale, AKA Firestorm
While EA didn't initially reveal the inclusion of a Battle Royale mode, the company teased it for the first time at E3 2018. Not much more was said about the Battle Royale mode for a while, until a new trailer showcased the first details about the game mode. First up, it'll be called Firestorm, and it's set in the largest, most varied Battlefield map to date. It's full of not only lethal weaponry, but also tanks and other vehicles for you to get the upper hand. And, it wouldn't be Battlefield without fully destructible buildings, which also make an appearance in Firestorm. Campers, beware!
In terms of player size, it's not quite the same as PUBG and Fortnite; EA has confirmed that Firestorm will feature 64 players, all split into squads of four. This puts a huge emphasis on team play, and depending on how well received it is, it could be the group eSport of the future.
Oh, and instead of a storm closing in, it's a huge wall of fire. Of course.
The bad news is that Firestorm won't be available at launch - in fact, it's not going to be available at any point in 2018. As confirmed by Electronic Arts, Firestorm will form part of the Trial by Fire chapter of Battlefield V's post-launch content, due for release in March 2019.
While we've known for a while that the mode wouldn't be available at launch, we didn't expect the launch to be so far from the release of Battlefield V - especially when Battlefield V's main competition, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, ships with a Battle Royale mode.
Combined Arms
Combined Arms a brand new co-op mode, and sits somewhere between the focused, intimate single-player experience with the large scale and chaos of a multiplayer match. It allows up to four players to group up and work together to progress behind enemy lines.
You'll be given objectives, and must work together as a team to complete them - no man gets left behind, after all.
Don't worry; Battlefield V will also feature standard multiplayer modes like Conquest, Death Match and Domination too.
Character customisation
Character customisation has become more of a focus in online multiplayer games in recent years, as it gives a way for players to stand out and make avatars unique. This will also be the case in Battlefield V, as you'll be able to create your own company of soldiers and customise each of them, changing gender, hair, faces, war paint, clothing and more.
Further details were provided during Inside Xbox at Gamescom 2018. As revealed during the livestream, the customisation will be much deeper than cosmetic customisation. Different combat modes provide unique weapons and abilities as well as unique capabilities that'll be unlocked over time. You'll finally be able to build fortifications as a Support!
You'll be able to customise your weapon in more ways than ever before. As well as customising the look of the weapon with a variety of skins, you'll now be able to upgrade your weapon's capabilities over time, refining control, damage and more to perfect your weapon feel.
Admittedly, not all customisation options are historically accurate, with cool leather jackets and modern hairstyles to choose from, but hey, it is a game at the end of the day!
Revive me!
Anybody that has played Battlefield's online multiplayer will know the struggles of being severely injured and waiting for a medic to come and revive you. You'll see the distance meter go down as they approach, and just as you think you're about to be saved, they take a turn and walk away. You see, despite choosing the medic class, most medics don't really care about reviving their teammates - and Battlefield devs know it.
That's why in Battlefield V you'll be able to revive any of your squad mates, regardless of class. It'll admittedly be slower and will provide less health than if it was done by an actual Medic, but it should provide a way for anybody to help keep their team alive.
There's a bunch of other new mechanics in Battlefield V that'll help it feel fresh and new, including the ability to return a thrown grenade (or even shoot it mid-air) and COD-esque sliding.
Destructible environments
Battlefield 1 saw the introduction of destructible environments, and Battlefield V looks to take that to the next level. If you throw a grenade in a house, walls will crack and fall away naturally. You can also shoot through the walls of houses using heavy artillery weapons, ideal if an enemy squad is camped out in a building. The most impressive new feature, in our opinion, is actually an enhancement of the original feature. You can blow up buildings with tanks, and for the first time, falling debris can injure players both inside and outside of the building.
All this should give the game a more realistic feel, and offer a whole new way to approach online gameplay. For the first time, you can really use the environment to your advantage.
Build your defences
Another interesting new feature coming to Battlefield V is the ability to restore destroyed buildings to help provide much-needed cover. You'll also be able to use items like sandbags, barbed wire and trenches to help fortify your position from enemy attackers. You won't be able to fully restore buildings to their former glory, but you'll be able to do enough to provide a little bit of cover when you most need it.
Goodbye Premium Pass!
One of the highlights of the Battlefield V reveal was the removal of the Premium Pass and the introduction of Tides of War, a new live service provided by EA. The company wanted to stop the player segmentation experienced in previous games where some players have access to content that others don't, and to do that, content and map updates will be free for all players.
Tides of War will allow players to progress with their customised Company through the battles of World War 2. It'll feature an evolving narrative with new gameplay, items and events added over time. It's also said to be split into chapters, with each chapter lasting a few months and featuring limited-time experiences and rewards including new weapons, vehicles, dog tags and more.
Grand Operations
Grand Operations builds on the Operations game mode introduced in Battlefield 1. Grand Operations is a large event-based multiplayer experience that'll see gamers take part in missions that play out over multiple matches and (in-game) days. Each day of the campaign will take you to a different map with a different objective, and player action has much more of an impact on gameplay than with Battlefield 1.
For example, if players are tasked with destroying enemy artillery on day one, the degree of success will dictate how many resources the enemy team has available to use on day two.
Each Grand Operation is said to be available for a limited time only, and players will be rewarded with unique items for taking part.
Battlefield V trailers
Take a look at the first Battlefield V multiplayer trailer, first showcased at EA Play 2018.
The most recent trailer was released in early September, and provides our first in-depth look at some of the new mechanics featured in Battlefield V. There's also more information about the highly anticipated Battle Royale mode, Firestorm.