Rumors are starting to swirl regarding Battlefield 2018 – whatever EA’s popular military shooter ends up actually being called this year. We do know that the next Battlefield game IS slated to release later this year, with confirmation from EA, themselves. What we don’t have just yet is the official name of the game.
Luckily, there are some leaks and reliable rumors that are suggesting that the new Battlefield game coming this year will be titled Battlefield V. And on top of those leaks and rumors, there are some discernible details we’re confident in presenting.
Here’s literally everything we know about Battlefield V below, as well as rumors, and predictions.
Rumors
(VentureBeat)
What we’ve gathered so far, thanks to VentureBeat, is that Battlefield 2018 is going to be called Battlefield V, and, according to the leak, it’s going to be set in WW2.
Oddly, the game was originally going by Battlefield 2 internally, meaning it would be a direct sequel to the super successful Battlefield 1 (which inarguably reinvigorated the longstanding franchise). Why they changed the name from Battlefield 2 to Battlefield V is beyond me, especially if they’re setting it in WW2 (Battlefield 2 would’ve only made sense).
It’s also not clear yet whether or not they’ll refer to it as Battlefield V (Read: Battlefield Vee) or Battlefield 5 (although Battlefield 5 is, again, likely the case).
Reveal Trailer
We’re expecting the Battlefield V reveal any day now, for two main reasons. First, obviously, the leaks and rumors seem to be growing by the day, and that means that EA is going to want to jump in and control their game’s message before it gets out of control and turns into something outlandish. Secondly, the big Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 reveal just happened last week, and typically speaking, they’re both announced around the same time.
What we can expect first is a simple reveal trailer, maybe even followed by some short tidbits of information regarding the game from EA Dice, themselves. And then, likely, EA will make Battlefield V a focal point of their E3 EA Play 2018 Conference, giving us a slew of more details and likely holding gameplay footage back until then.
If you all remember, EA’s reveal trailer for Battlefield 1 was first shown during a livestream reveal that sent social media into a frenzy. First, they revealed the trailer, played it twice, and then went into some of the single player campaign details, saving the rest for E3 2016 that June. We’re expecting a similar model for this year’s reveal.
Release Date
Obviously, without that reveal trailer just yet, we don’t officially know the Battlefield V release date. But, we can make a bit of an educated guess. Battlefield’s last three mainline releases (Battlefield 3, Battlefield 4, and Battlefield 1) have released at the end of October. Our prediction is that the release date will be October 23, 2018.
Publisher
Electronic Arts (EA) is the Battlefield V publisher, and currently owns the Battlefield IP.
Developer
Stockholm-based studio EA DICE is the developer behind all Battlefield games, and they will be developing whatever Battlefield V turns out to be.
Platforms
While we don’t have platform confirmation just yet, we can expect that Battlefield V will be released on the PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Although not entirely out of the realm of possibility, it’s extremely unlikely that the game would have a Switch port, especially when you factor in the failure of FIFA on Switch (which uses the same engine).
Pre-order
As of right now, there isn’t any Battlefield V pre-order informaiton, but the recent trend is that the game will be available for pre-order immediately following its big reveal trailer (which we’re expecting any day now). You can expect to be able to pre-order Battlefield 5 at GameStop, Amazon, and soon after, other big retailers.
Battlefield V Multiplayer Details
It’s likely that we won’t immediately receive Battlefield V multiplayer details with the first reveal trailer, which historically speaking, focuses on the story and general aura around the game. The recent trend for EA is to hold all multiplayer details until their EA Play E3 conference, presenting a big multiplayer gameplay blowout then. So, that’s what we’re going to expect for now until we’re given a reason to believe we’ll be getting some details any sooner.
Screenshots
There are no Battlefield V screenshots available yet.
Battlefield V Loot Boxes
An early report from USGamer (which was then later mostly corroborated by Kotaku’s sources as well) made it known that Battlefield V will have loot boxes, but they’ll be cosmetic loot boxes only. If the report is true, that means that soldier customization will make its return to the Battlefield franchise.
The report noted that someone close to the situation claims that EA didn’t take the Battlefront 2 loot box controversy lightly, and that there will be no “pay-to-win” stuff anymore.
Now, here’s where things get a bit interesting: Kotaku acknowledged that loot boxes are being discussed, but noted that it was still in its early development and hasn’t been given the greenlight just yet.
This means the final product may or may not include loot boxes, but as long as these loot boxes are cosmetic only, I don’t foresee it being taken issue with by the majority of gamers either way. Sure, there’s a stigma attached to the word loot boxes (thanks to various pay-to-win models we’ve seen in the past), but if handled properly, loot boxes can be a good addition to a game that helps provide a revenue stream to help influence future development.
Predicting the Reaction
Predicting the Battlefield V reaction is, admittedly, tough. On one hand, Battlefield 1 was pretty great all-around, and a sequel to that with a similar model will be welcomed. But what this year’s Battlefield has working against it is the fact that Call of Duty just had their own reawakening last year with a WW2-themed title, which might turn off a few potential players who might want another era to shoot people in.
However, for the most part, Call of Duty and Battlefield are generally different enough that it won’t be that much of a potential road block for Battlefield to also come with a WW2-themed game. This will also be the first main-entry Battlefield game to return back to WW2 since Battlefield 1943 in 2009, so those longtime players will likely be excited.
When we factor in the possibilities with the larger scale warfare that the Battlefield franchise is known for, a WW2 becomes a bit more exciting. Thinking along the lines of tanks, bomber planes, and other vehicles unique to the period, as well as the unique weapons, is enough to excite most fans.
Remember, after Battlefield 4‘s release, we all thought the franchise was doomed until the Battlefield 1 reveal trailer (which sent social media into an absolute frenzy). This leads me to believe that the Battlefield V reveal trailer could make or break the game.