DICE’s long-running first-person shooter franchise returns this year with Battlefield 5. The acclaimed video game developer saw enormous success with the release of Battlefield 1 in 2016. It quickly outsold both 2013’s Battlefield 4 and 2015’s Battlefield Hardline.

And by taking place during WWI, the studio was able to circumvent the fatigue players were experiencing with modern-day shooters. Now, DICE is looking to build off all that success with the release of Battlefield 5 or Battlefield V as was revealed from internal screenshots.

WHEN DOES BATTLEFIELD 5 RELEASE?
There isn’t a confirmed release date for Battlefield 5 yet, but EA did mention during an investor’s call in 2017 that they plan on releasing the next Battlefield title in 2018. Based on the franchise’s history, however, Battlefield 5 will presumably release sometime towards the end of October 2018 – as was the case for Battlefield 3, Battlefield 4, and Battlefield 1.

BATTLEFIELD 5 IS REPORTEDLY SET DURING WWII


In December 2017, known leaker and YouTuber AlmightyDaq revealed that the next Battlefield game would take place during WWII. That news was later confirmed by GamesBeat in March, who said that reports of Battlefield 2018 being a Vietnam War-set Bad Company 3 were inaccurate. Rumors then suggested that the game will primarily follow the German side of the war, but GamesBeat‘s Jeff Grubb denies those reports, saying that the game will instead follow a similar structure to Battlefield 1. Each mission will place players in a different situation, playing as a different soldier in presumably a different battle.

While the Battlefield series got its start in WWII with Battlefield 1942 in 2002, this will be the first time since 2009 that an installment has been set during the Second World War. It follows Activision’s Call of Duty WWII from 2017, which became that series’ best-selling installment since Black Ops II debuted in 2012. EA may be criticized for copying Activision, but the fact is, games take years to develop and this has most likely been in the works for quite some time, at least long before Call of Duty WWII even released.

BATTLEFIELD 5 IS REPORTEDLY TITLED BATTLEFIELD V (& HAS A LOGO)
Battlefield 4 debuted in 2013 as a cross-gen release, and rather than continuing with yet another modern-day shooter, DICE decided to head to WWI with Battlefield 1. And so, Battlefield 5 seems to have been pushed to 2018. But rather than go with a numbered title, DICE’s next mainline release is reportedly named Battlefield V, similar to NetherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. Interactive’s Mortal Kombat X, which was the 10th installment in that series. A potential logo was leaked in March, showing off a similar design and layout to recent installments such as Battlefield 4 and Battlefield 1.


Jeffrey Grubb
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@JeffGrubb
1 Mar
Replying to @JeffGrubb
In the same way that DICE was holding onto WWII as a place to retreat when modern/near-future military games started fizzling out, I would expect Bad Company to hit when this current World War trend starts growing stale.


Jeffrey Grubb
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@JeffGrubb
Late-breaking update: after the story went live, I was able to confirm that this image is real. The name was changed internally from Battlefield 2 to Battlefield V. It is still set during WWII, and is coming this year. https://venturebeat.com/2018/03/01/n...-ii-this-year/ … pic.twitter.com/H8zkJ8QS8m

2:52 PM - Mar 1, 2018

What’s important about the new Battlefield game using the Roman numeral V is that it not only represents the number 5 but it’s also a clever way to represent the reported WWII setting. The Allies would frequently display a “V” sign with their fingers as a gesture for “V for Victory.” Only if the sign is faced outward, though. It was used throughout the rest of the 20th century as a sign of peace but its origins are deeply rooted in WWII.

BATTLEFIELD 5 WILL REPORTEDLY HAVE A CO-OP MODE


After skipping Battlefield 4 and Battlefield 1, DICE is reportedly bringing cooperative play back for Battlefield 5. The last installment to feature cooperative play was Battlefield 3. While that game allowed players to go through an online campaign together, Battlefield 5‘s co-op mode will instead be a special mode that has squads go through certain conquest missions. Nothing is known about the mode beyond that at the moment. But the same leak also alleged that players will now be able to go prone on their backs, something that GamesBeat confirms is indeed happening. That will certainly increase movability in particular situations.

BATTLEFIELD 5 WON’T BE PAY-TO-WIN
After the entire Star Wars: Battlefront II loot box debacle, EA and DICE are making sure that they don’t make the same mistakes again. It was a transformative experience for the video game industry and something that desperately needed to happen. Even though Battlefront II isn’t the only perpetrator in this matter, it just happens to be the game that got picked as the scapegoat. So, DICE is being cautious about microtransactions in Battlefield 5.

According to US Gamer, Battlefield 5‘s microtransactions and loot boxes will all be cosmetic items that have no effect on gameplay. That report was later confirmed by Kotaku when they reported that an inside source told them: “No one’s gonna do any pay-to-win stuff anymore. We didn’t take any of the loot box controversy lightly.”

BATTLEFIELD 5 WILL BE PLAYABLE AT E3 2018

EA is opting not to return to the E3 show floor in 2018 and instead will be hosting another EA Play – an event that allows the publisher to connect directly with their consumers. Tickets are free, but attendees must pre-register in advance to secure a spot to prevent overcrowding. In addition to showcasing the traditional sports titles, EA will also be providing hands-on time with DICE’s Battlefield 2018 and BioWare’s Anthem, which again is reportedly the WWII-set Battlefield V game. EA Play is being hosted at the Hollywood Palladium just outside the E3 convention halls in Los Angeles, CA, from June 9 to 11.

THERE ISN’T A BATTLEFIELD 5 TRAILER YET
EA DICE hasn’t released the Battlefield 5 trailer yet, but it’s on the way. The studio’s senior video & media director Randy Evans confirmed in late February that the Battlefield 5 trailer was being worked on. It was believed that the announcement trailer would then come during GDC 2018 in March, but that wasn’t the case. Instead, DICE may be waiting to unveil the game at a special event – just as they did with Battlefield 1 in May 2016 – or perhaps they’re waiting for E3 2018 in June.