Battlefield 5 battle royale is 64 players, called Firestorm
Tides of War and single-player stories detailed.
After weeks of mystery and secrecy surrounding the upcoming Battlefield 5 title, today, DICE finally shared some news about the game. The information came in the form of a cinematic trailer with voice narration, which detailed some of the features players can expect. And, most importantly, we now know the name of the battle royale mode: Firestorm.
To get straight down to business: the battle royale is constructed of 16 teams of four, which tallies up to a total of 64 players per match. Interestingly, the trailer only mentions four-player squads, which suggests Battlefield's battle royale mode will ignore solo and duo play. This would also explain the weirdness of the 64-player total.
Beyond player numbers, the trailer also reveals the battle royale mode will take place on Battlefield's biggest ever map - a sandbox with dozens of vehicles. It sounds like destruction and carnage will be the order of the day.
The video also sheds a little more light on Battlefield's new games-as-a-service feature, Tides of War. DICE has reiterated the service will be free for everyone, and players can expect a themed chapter called The Fall of Europe to arrive shortly after launch. A second chapter is also en-route, and should arrive by early 2019. Although DICE did not reveal the name of this second chapter, it did say the instalment will introduce a new location: an axis vs resistance battle in Greece.
For those interested in the single-player campaign, it seems Battlefield 5's war stories will function in much the same way as Battlefield 1. An image in the trailer displays four stories available at release, with another due to arrive post-launch. Alongside the previously-discussed Norwegian resistance story Nordlys, DICE unveiled a new story called Under No Flag. This mission will see players take on the role of a British criminal using his "unique skills" behind enemy lines in North Africa.
The trailer arrives as Battlefield 5's open beta becomes available for players who pre-ordered the game. The rest of us rabble can access the beta from the 6th to the 11th of September - but we'll have to wait a while longer for the full launch, which has been delayed to November 20th.