Report: ‘Battlefield 5’ Could Be Set Amid The Trenches Of World War I, According To German Retailer


The latest iteration of Electronic Arts’ big first person shooter franchise Battlefield 5 could take place among the trenches of World War I, according to a listing on a German retailer. Reported by IGN, the news comes as many fans are expressing a desire to get back to the older war shooters of yesteryear, as most first person shooter games have begun to explore more modern and futuristic settings.

First spotted on German retailer Word of Games, the listing read “Mehrspieler Taktik Shooter im 1. Weltkrieg,” (Multiplayer tactical shooter in WW1) for Battlefield 5, as well as listing the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC as the prospective platforms. The listing has since been updated to simply reflect Battlefield 5 as a “Multiplayer Tactical Shooter” but one Twitter user was able to score a screenshot before the listing was changed.

Battlefield 5 WW1 German Listing
[Image via Twitter]
Also listed on the German retailer World of Games‘ site is a release date of 26 October, though retailers have been known to use place-holder release dates till one is explicitly announced or confirmed. The Inquisitr recently reported that EA expects multiple new games to launch between October 2016 through May 2017, with Battlefield 5 being confirmed for this Holiday season, so it’s not far-fetched to see an October release date listed. However, EA has yet to confirm the exact date – as well as any real details from DICE’s next foray into the Battlefield series.

World War I is an interesting setting, as not too many games look at the first world-wide conflict, rather setting themselves in the Second World War. While games such as Verdun and Ubisoft’s Valiant Hearts are set amidst the carnage of the First World War, Battlefield 5 would be the first Triple-A shooter to be set among the trenches of Europe. No doubt DICE will use it’s fabulous Frostbite 3 Engine, responsible for bringing to life some of the best looking games from the past few years, including Star Wars Battlefront, Battlefield: Hardline, Dragon Age Inquisition among others.

World War I would be a fabulous setting for Battlefield to explore, as its often not talked about, even among the discussions of Twentieth Century warfare, most conversations settling on World War II. Battlefield 5 set in World War I would be incredibly intriguing, especially from the sense of how battles in World War I were fought. The conflict ushered the Old World into the New World, with most technological advances coming out of pure necessity rather than military prowess. Battlefield 5, if it is set in World War I, could see players fighting over the Somme, Verdun, the Battle of the Frontiers, they could explore the naval battles taking place between Britain and the Ottoman Empire near the Battle of Gallipoli, recreating the Battle of Jutland and so on. There are so many stories and battles that can be told in Battlefield 5 during World War I that the possibilities are endless. However, many are already panning the report on Reddit, saying that the setting might cause Battlefield 5 to take a “step-backwards.”

While this hasn’t been officially confirmed by EA or DICE, it is interesting to speculate on what this could mean for not only Battlefield 5, but the possibility of other shooters making a triumphant return to previous wars and ditching the modern settings for the time being. I’ve reached out to EA for comment on both the World War I setting and the release date listed on the retailer site for Battlefield 5 and will update if they provide any comment.

Interested in the news that Battlefield 5 could be set in World War I? Sound off in the comments below with your thoughts.

[Image via EA/Twitter]

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