‘Battlefield 1’ Premium Pass Reveals French As First DLC In March 2017


Electronic Arts and DICE announced the Premium Pass for Battlefield 1 on Wednesday. The upcoming PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC shooter set during World War I will keep with the traditional DLC release model, though the first DLC featuring the French won’t appear until March 2017.

Battlefield 1 will launch in October with armies from the British Empire, Germany, United States, Austro-Hungarian Empire, Italy, and the Ottoman Empire. Other countries that fought in the Great War will be brought in through the Premium Pass and DLC starting with the “They Shall Not Pass” expansion, due next March.

The press release also reveals the Russian Empire will eventually join the fray. The expansion is not mentioned in the accompanying press release beyond saying an “upcoming expansion pack.”

Four expansion packs are planned in all for Battlefield 1. This is the same number as in past Battlefield releases, but developer DICE is known for occasionally releasing free DLC packs such as “Night Operations” for Battlefield 4. The studio also notably released the free “Jakku” DLC for Star Wars Battlefront in the December after launch and before any paid release.

[Image via Electronic Arts]
The four Battlefield 1 expansions will bring 16 new multiplayer maps, new operations and games modes, new Elite classes, 20 new weapons, and new vehicles. Those that purchase the Premium Pass will also receive 14 Battlepacks containing weapons skins on a monthly basis starting in November. 14 unique dog tags will be distributed as well.

The $50 Battlefield 1 Premium Pass will grant buyers a two-week head start on all expansions before their wider release. This will be good on all three platforms and is not a timed exclusive on any platform.

Those interested in Battlefield 1 can get their first taste thanks to the open beta planned to kick off on Wednesday, August 31, for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The deadline to sign-up for Battlefield Insider and get in earlier has passed, unfortunately.

The action in the Battlefield 1 open beta will take place on the Sinai Desert map. Located just east of El-Jifar, ground infantry will battle it out in the narrow streets of the Bir el Mazar village while tanks, vehicles, and even horses do battle across the nearby dunes. Meanwhile, the skies will be full of dogfights between World War 1 era bi-planes, some of which have a rear mounted machine gun for a co-pilot.

Levolution events will return with a massive sandstorm for the Sinai map. This will dramatically change the map when triggered and bring visibility extremely low.

The new mechanic introduced with Battlefield 1 is the introduction of Behemoths. This is the armored train on the Sinai Desert that drives through the map hailing down artillery fire and running over anything unlucky enough to get in its way. The opposing side will have to attempt to blow up the Behemoth to prevent losing. Other Behemoths in multiplayer include the giant airships and possibly battleships planted off the coast.

Two familiar modes will be available to play for those that jump into the Battlefield 1 open beta – Conquest and Rush. Here are the official descriptions of each:

  • Conquest: An all-time fan favorite of Battlefield players, Conquest is a large-scale game mode with up to 64 players fighting for the control of key objectives. With large armies on foot or behind the wheel and the addition of fearsome Behemoths, Conquest brings together all the elements of the signature Battlefield All-Out War.
  • Rush: A 24-player mode where the Attacking force must find and destroy the Defending force’s Telegraph Posts, which can be used to call in artillery strikes. The Defenders can deny the Attackers their mission by disarming explosives they plant on the telegraph positions. Should the Telegraph Posts be destroyed, the Defenders must fall back to the next sector and protect the Telegraph Posts there

Battlefield 1 is set for an October 18 release for those that pre-order the $80 Early Enlister Deluxe Edition for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Those that decide on the Battlefield 1 Standard Edition for $60 will receive the game on Friday, October 21.

What do you think of the Battlefield 1 Premium Pass and DLC plans? Sound off in the comments below.

[Image via Electronic Arts]

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