New maps coming to Bad Company 2

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 8 November, 2010

Announcement on eve of Black Ops' release.

On the eve of Call of Duty: Black Ops' release EA has announced new downloadable content for rival shooter Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

VIP Map Pack 7 includes four maps, two of which are "fan favourites" Oasis and Harvest Day. It's all free for PC and console VIP players.

The maps previously in Bad Company have been reworked for the sequel, and in the process have gained "full Destruction 2.0 (buildings collapsing and micro destruction), enhanced graphics and lighting, and remastered ambient sounds and backgrounds".

The final two maps in the pack are Cold War and Heavy Metal, both originating from the single-player portion of the DICE-developed shooter.

Talking specifically about Oasis, level designer Cristian Pavel said: "The map has not been changed drastically, so returning players will feel right at home the moment they step into this Oasis.

"The revised parts of the levels are minor. For example, the gold crates in BC1 were located on the rooftops, which we can't have now that entire buildings can collapse. So we had to put the crates on the ground in some places. Things like that."

VIP Map Pack 7 is "on its way", according to DICE.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (42) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Ranger101 #1 2 years ago

    w00t! New Maps!

  • StolenGlory #2 2 years ago

    Cynical though this move maybe, it'll nonetheless get me back playing BFBC2 again.

  • Powerslave #3 2 years ago

    happiest news i've read this month!

  • icematt12 #4 2 years ago

    So it's actual new maps for BC2, not existing ones that have new modes added. Still a rookie at BC1 online so worth a look to me.

  • vyseofhr #5 2 years ago

    This is about 6 months too late. I really enjoyed BF:BC2, but I sold it months ago when I felt there was nothing more I could get out of it. Shame.

  • sfp_noodle #6 2 years ago

    I wouldn't say it's cynical after Activision dropped the price of MW2 maps in the weeks leading upto Medal of Honor's release. Sadly, I think Acti's tactic was more effective. They announced it weeks before EA's game was released. Everyone who was interested in Black Ops has already pre-ordered and a lot have recieved their game today. This is unlikely to deter those interested in Black Ops from purchasing. Even though this is my favourite online FPS after Halo, I expect game servers to be pretty bare over the next week. A big shame.

  • Moz #7 2 years ago

    Nice and I'm assuming free if you have a VIP code.

    This plus Vietnam makes my decision to skip MoH and BlackOps the right move :D

  • DefendoCroc #8 2 years ago

    Cool, but woefully late.

  • riz23 #9 2 years ago

    Fuck yeah! Good enough for me

  • ruslan74 #10 2 years ago

    BO for SP and BC2 for MP = Heaven! :)
    Edited by ruslan74 at 08/11/10 @ 13:29

  • riz23 #11 2 years ago

    Fuck yeah! Good enough for me

    Edit: so good I had to double post!
    Edited by riz23 at 08/11/10 @ 13:29

  • Kode #12 2 years ago

    Probably my two favourite maps from BC1! :D Can't wait.

  • coolbritannia #13 2 years ago

    Cynical, and badly timed. If they'd announced this last week I may have avoided Black Ops, don't they realise how many people buy online for release day these days?

  • geeza2020 #14 2 years ago

    This is amazing news. I havent played this online for ages, and this is just the excuse I needed :D

  • DutchDemons #15 2 years ago

    do some of you even know what cynical means? It's like some Americans with the use of the word ironic...read up or don't use the word.

    OT: it's kind of late to release a new map pack, i recently returned to BC2, still like it, but i no longer feel the desire to keep on playing it. Loved the game though!
    Edited by DutchDemons at 08/11/10 @ 13:37

  • polaris70 #16 2 years ago

    Time to get my M416 out again :p Best two maps from the original.

  • Bradach #17 2 years ago

    Brilliant news! I'm going to be very busy with this, the vietnam pack and black ops!

  • Lord_BeeJee #18 2 years ago

    Superb! I had almost given up hope for this but dice did come through yay

  • Emmit_Assassin #19 2 years ago

    I've just got the shock of my life! FREE MAPS?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????????????!!!!!! Bugger me...

  • coolbritannia #20 2 years ago

    @DutchDemons

    '—Synonyms
    1, 3. Cynical, pessimistic, sarcastic, satirical imply holding a low opinion of humanity. Cynical suggests a disbelief in the sincerity of human motives: cynical about honesty.'

    We question the motives of announcing this today, and probably holding it back until Black Ops is released. What did you think cynical meant?
    Edited by coolbritannia at 08/11/10 @ 13:46

  • RustyBullet #21 2 years ago

    Harvest Day Quality... good news and then just the wait for vietnam.

  • FuzzyDuck #22 2 years ago

    Righto, on to BC1 to familiarise myself!

  • geox30 #23 2 years ago

    This is very good news for me too.I still enjoy this game much,it's pure fun

  • carlitoswagon #24 2 years ago

    This truly is a good day. Bit late coming but at least they came.

  • Ducklord #25 2 years ago

    Bloody good timing too, I recently popped the disc back in and got myself hooked all over again :D
    Agree that new maps should have appeared ages ago though...

  • DutchDemons #26 2 years ago

    @coolbritannia

    To explain further; cynical isn't the word that fits the point you're trying to make. I understand that you think it is 'quite a coincidence' that this map pack comes out hours before a rival game is released, you might even say it is an 'obvious move' to lure some gamers away from that purchase.

    However, cynical implies you are distrusting and/or hold a low opinion of this particular move. That can't be the case,surely? Unless you have zero understanding of how the contemporary world operates. Even if this can be constructed as a direct attack from the EA side towards their rivals (which is doubtful, given the timing and the fact that 6(!!) mappacks have preceded this 'cynical' move), then still cynical wouldn't apply, as their (EA) motives are clear as day; they want to make money and keep it out of rival pockets.

    Sorry for the forumites who aren't interested in this, but it had to be said.

  • orangpelupa #27 2 years ago

    errrrr.. its really "on its way".

    or the VIP Map 7 actually is ALREADY inside our files?
    Just like VIP Map 6 when it is "silently" installed when doing PC update.
    and then just "activated" on the DLC launch date.

    Not long ago, PC got huge 900MB update.
    maybe the map is already finished, just not activated yet.

  • anathema #28 2 years ago

    Popped this on again the other night, still my favourite shooter by far and well and truly vindicated my decision not to get Black Ops. I love the BC1 maps but prefer the BC2 gameplay so hopefully they'll release more BC1 maps for BC2, if so I won't be looking at another modern war FPS until BF3.

  • vijay_UK #29 2 years ago

    New maps is good news...the game certainly needed an adrenaline shot.

  • orangpelupa #30 2 years ago

    @whoever neg me
    in the previous map pack, DICE really already put the files together with PC update, long before DLC release date. Its just disabled, then activated sometime later when the release date reached.

  • AdamAsunder #31 2 years ago

    Excellent news, was already going to repurchase BC2 at the end of the month so this is a welcome addition. The vietnam update and this free pack will go a long way.

  • twostrike #32 2 years ago

    I love the MP of this game so much and the new maps look awesome, how anyone can play limited games like COD and Black Ops after playing this is beyond me. Slightly disappointed that they haven't made (and may never do so) Panama Canal playable in rush mode yet.

  • coolbritannia #33 2 years ago

    I quote again, cynical used in this instance: 'Cynical suggests a disbelief in the sincerity of human motives'.

    If you think the timing of this announcement is a coincidence so be it, I call it cynical.

  • metalangel #34 2 years ago

    No El Alamein :(

  • ManBeast #35 2 years ago

    Just tell me when the Vietnam expansion is out! That would have been a better thing to announce right before Black Ops.

  • Felwyn #36 2 years ago

    Finally some good news!

    @coolbrit

    You are the one being cynical not trusting their human motives for the release of the map pack now not the other way around...
    Edited by Felwyn at 08/11/10 @ 16:01

  • Soton4084 #37 2 years ago

    Well done DICE and EA! We finally get new maps and not just the same maps but with different modes!

  • SlapLaB #38 2 years ago

    \o/ \o/ \o/

  • bigtechno #39 2 years ago

    any news on the vietnam pack release date?

  • trooperdx3117 #40 2 years ago

    Wow four free maps for an excellent shooter amd the icing on the cake is that if this was a CoD then these maps would probably be $15

  • Iain815 #41 2 years ago

    I stupidly bought the game second hand, so I don't have the VIP code. 1200 points for a code just seems a bit much for me, considering Vietnam will be out soon. :(
    Edited by Iain815 at 08/11/10 @ 17:50

  • abot #42 2 years ago

    Its great that there will be new VIP maps but still no mention of a release date for the Vietnam DLC.

    Is the DLC going to be delayed??