During today’s Battlefield V reveal event, EA and DICE shocked everyone by announcing that the Battlefield Premium Pass is no more. In fact, there won’t be any expansions or map packs for players to pay for. The live service for Battlefield V will be available to all players that purchase the game, with new limited time events and items coming for quite some time following the launch of the game in October.
Called Tides of War, the post-launch campaign will expand the game and keep the entire Battlefield V player base together, instead of segmenting them off as each new map pack comes out. DICE calls it an “evolving, diverse game that will grow over time” as they immerse players in different theaters of war. If you’re wondering exactly how it will work, they aren’t opening up about too many details just yet, but they’ve indicated it will differ from all previous Battlefield games.
DICE isn’t new to the live service model that keeps players together with free content. Star Wars Battlefront II has been doing that since late last year, and recently launched the Han Solo season, bringing even more maps, modes, and customization options to players. If we look to Battlefront II as an example, we might see just how Battlefield V plans to execute their post-launch content campaign. Battlefield V Producer Lars Gustavsson mentioned “daily, weekly, and monthly events leading up to the pinnacle of Grand Operations” for players to take part in, which makes it sound like they are aiming for the games-as-a-hobby approach that many other multiplayer games are taking.
Gustavsson feels that the base game is just the beginning, and says that Battlefield V will be constantly evolving as time goes on. The first part of the post-launch support begins in November, just after the game launches in October. The first chapter of the live service is called The Fall of Europe and will run into early 2019. The Fall of Europe will feature live gameplay events and thematic rewards. More details will be coming as we lead up to launch.
If you missed the Battlefield V reveal trailer earlier today, it features an action-packed look at the game, including fresh gameplay footage. For more information on Battlefield V, you can check out the full archived reveal live stream.
Battlefield V will be launching worldwide on October 19. EA Access subscribers will have the opportunity to play the game starting on October 11, and Deluxe Edition purchasers will get the game on October 16, three days ahead of the worldwide release. Pre-ordering Battlefield V will grant early access to the open beta.
What do you think of DICE announcing that there will be no Battlefield V Premium Pass? Do you think the full game will see loot boxes to support the post-launch campaign?
