Battlefield V is a 2018 first-person shooter game created by DICE and published by Electronic Arts. It follows Battlefield 1 (2016) and is the sixteenth game in the Battlefield series. The game is set during World War II and continues the story of Battlefield 1, which was based on World War I. It was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in November 2018.
Before its release, some fans were not happy with the announcement trailer. After its release, critics gave the game mostly positive reviews, praising its gameplay and new multiplayer features. However, they also pointed out that the game had limited content at launch and lacked new ideas. By the end of 2018, the game sold 7.3 million copies, but it did not meet sales expectations for Electronic Arts. In April 2020, it was announced that the game would no longer receive updates after its final major update in the summer of 2020.
Gameplay
Battlefield V places a lot of focus on features that involve teamwork, limited supplies, and making game mechanics more realistic by removing simplifications. Players can customize their experience through the new Company system, which lets them create multiple characters with choices for appearance and weapons. Cosmetic items and currency used to buy them are earned by completing in-game tasks.
The game includes new multiplayer modes, such as the ongoing campaign mode "Firestorm" and "Grand Operations." Grand Operations expands on the "Operations" mode from Battlefield 1, where matches take place across multiple stages to simulate a war campaign. In Grand Operations, each round has specific goals, and performance in one stage affects the next. If the final stage ends closely, the match ends with a "Final Stand," where players fight until only one remains on a shrinking map. Like Battlefield 1, the game includes single-player "war stories" based on World War II, with voiceovers in the original language of each story. A cooperative mode called "Combined Arms," similar to one in Battlefield 3, returns, allowing up to four players to complete missions together with changing objectives each time.
The battle royale mode focuses on the franchise's main features: destruction, teamwork, and vehicles. The name "Firestorm" describes a firestorm that narrows the playing area, similar to mechanics in popular battle royale games. This mode was created by Criterion Games, not DICE, and features the largest map ever made for the franchise. It supports 64 players, who can be split into up to 16 teams, emphasizing teamwork.
Synopsis
The single-player campaign in Battlefield V is divided into an introduction and episodic War Stories. At launch, three War Stories were available: "Nordlys," which follows a Norwegian resistance fighter involved in sabotaging the German nuclear program; "Tirailleur," which tells the story of a Senegalese Tirailleur during Operation Dragoon; and "Under No Flag," which puts the player in the role of Billy Bridger, a convicted bank robber and explosives expert forced to join the Special Boat Service for Operation Albumen. A fourth campaign, "The Last Tiger," was released on December 5, 2018. It depicts the struggles of a German Tiger I tank crew during the Ruhr Pocket in the final days of World War II.
The introductory episode of Battlefield V, titled "My Country Calling" or "Prologue," is a tutorial required when the game is first launched. It teaches players the basics of infantry, tanks, and planes, while setting the tone for future War Stories. The prologue begins after Battlefield 1's "Storm of Steel" and includes a black screen with text commenting on how society quickly forgot the horrors of World War I. It then jumps to London in 1939, showing Neville Chamberlain declaring war on Germany. The player then steps into the role of a British paratrooper during a night raid at Narvik Docks in 1940, part of the Battles of Narvik. After defeating German soldiers, a Tiger I tank appears, and the screen fades to white. The player then controls Peter Muller, the main character of "The Last Tiger," who is tasked with breaking Allied lines at Tobruk during the Siege of Tobruk. After an artillery strike, the player takes control of a free French sniper, likely from the "Tirailleur" War Story, during the Battle of Kasserine Pass. The sniper is killed during an ambush, and the camera shifts to a Bf 109 fighter pilot, "Yellow-Seven," who must shoot down enemy aircraft during the Bombing of Hamburg. Finally, the player becomes a British machine gunner during the Final Defense at Nijmegen railway bridge in 1944, part of Operation Market Garden. A V1 flying bomb detonates, and the player is killed in the attack. After completing the prologue, the player watches cinematic clips of the War Stories and sees the game's title card.
In spring 1942, during the North African campaign, William Sidney "Billy" Bridger, the son of another infamous bank robber, volunteers to join the British army to escape prison. He is assigned as an explosives expert to a Special Boat Service team led by George Mason. Billy and Mason infiltrate occupied North Africa to sabotage German airfields. At the first airfield, one of Billy's explosives fails to detonate, angering Mason. Billy uses an anti-aircraft device to destroy the last plane, but Mason is wounded. After an argument, Billy and Mason steal a German car and drive to the second airfield. Due to Mason's injuries, Billy infiltrates the airfield alone, destroys the objectives, and collects medical supplies for Mason. He radios HMS Sussex for evacuation. When Mason discovers Billy called for help, he becomes angry, as it risks revealing their location. A German force pursues them, and they hide in ruins. Billy doubts his abilities and grieves over failing to please his father. Mason reassures Billy that he was chosen for his persistence, not his success. Inspired, Billy fights alongside Mason in a final stand while singing "It's a Long Way to Tipperary." British reinforcements arrive, and the Germans are defeated. Billy and Mason gain mutual respect and prepare for their next mission.
In spring 1943, during Operation Checkmate in Rjukan, Norway, a British commando unit is killed trying to infiltrate a German-occupied facility. Astrid, a Norwegian resistance fighter assisting the unit, is captured. Her daughter, Solveig, enters the facility to rescue her. Astrid refuses to leave, insisting the facility must be destroyed as it produces heavy water for Germany's nuclear program. They sabotage the facility, but much of the heavy water is evacuated by truck. Solveig pursues the trucks but is cornered on a bridge by German forces. Astrid pushes Solveig off the bridge to prevent her capture. Solveig survives the fall and destroys the trucks. However, the Germans have already loaded Astrid and some heavy water onto a U-boat. Solveig cannot board the U-boat, and Astrid uses a grenade to destroy the U-boat and the heavy water, killing herself and the German commander, Leutnant Weber. It is unclear if Solveig survived the explosion.
In late summer 1944, after the Allied landings at Normandy during Operation Dragoon, Senegalese Tirailleurs are sent to help liberate France. One soldier, Deme Cisse, meets his older brother, Idrissa, upon arriving in France. Deme faces discrimination from the French army, as Senegalese soldiers are assigned to menial tasks like filling sandbags instead of fighting on the frontlines. Eventually, the Senegalese are allowed to attack a heavily fortified German position, targeting anti-aircraft guns. They are ambushed but capture a German strongpoint. Idrissa hesitates to proceed further without support, but Deme insists on pushing forward to gain recognition from the French army. He convinces the unit to continue, and they destroy the anti-aircraft guns, suffering heavy casualties. A wounded German soldier claims the Senegalese will be surrounded and destroyed, with no one knowing they existed. Idrissa, fearing he will not return home, considers withdrawing, but Deme urges the unit to attack the German headquarters directly. They break into the headquarters but the text ends here.
Development
DICE announced the first details about Battlefield V on May 23, 2018. More information was shared during the EA Play press conference near E3 2018 in June. DICE said Battlefield V will not use paid downloadable content or "loot boxes" for non-cosmetic items, unlike Battlefield 1. New content will be added to the game for all players over time, with no extra cost. This content will progress through different stages of World War II and become part of the game's "Tides of War" and season system. There were six seasons during the game's life. DICE made this decision after people were upset about the loot box system in Star Wars Battlefront II, another EA DICE game. The game was originally set to release on October 19, but was delayed to November 20 to allow developers to make final adjustments to gameplay. Battlefield V is one of the first major games to use real-time ray tracing and DLSS, with help from Nvidia.
Updates through the "Tides of War" and season system added new maps, weapons, and game modes. The game no longer uses the "Premium Pass," which in previous Battlefield titles gave access to paid expansion packs. Instead, updates are free. As of April 23, 2020, when active development ended, six major content updates were released. These updates added new maps focusing on different parts of World War II, new weapons, vehicles, customization options, custom servers, and a new "War Story" called "The Last Tiger." On March 28, 2024, EA announced it would change Battlefield V's anti-cheat system from FairFight to an in-house solution, similar to the change made for Battlefield 2042.
Battlefield V had two major digital rereleases: the Year 2 Edition and the Definitive Edition. Each included in-game cosmetic options and could be purchased separately or in a bundle. Unlike other Battlefield games except Battlefield 2042, the Definitive Edition of Battlefield V is the default version offered on the Steam store.
Reception
The announcement trailer for the game received a lot of negative feedback. Fans of the series criticized the game for not accurately representing historical events, culture, and the experience of being in that time period. People pointed out that certain weapons, artificial limbs, and body art shown in the trailer were not common during that era. Fans were also upset about how women were portrayed in the game, especially the British woman shown in the trailer, as women in the Western Allies' armed forces did not typically fight on the front lines during that time.
Some video game journalists disagreed with these criticisms. They explained that the roles of women in World War II varied by country, with examples from France and the Soviet Union showing women serving as soldiers and partisans. They also noted that previous games in the Battlefield series were not meant to be realistic portrayals of war. Some suggested that the criticism might be partly due to prejudice against women rather than concerns about historical accuracy.
In response, the game's executive producer, Aleksander Grøndal, said on Twitter that the team would "always prioritize fun over historical accuracy." DICE's general manager, Oskar Gabrielson, stated on Twitter that player choice and female playable characters would remain in the game. He added that the studio aimed to create inclusive and diverse games. EA's chief creative officer, Patrick Söderlund, said the developer was not interested in facing criticism for making the gaming space more diverse. He said, "We stand up for the cause, because I think those people who don't understand it, well, you have two choices: either accept it or don't buy the game. I'm fine with either or." Söderlund also said the development team supported including women in Battlefield V. However, in September 2018, before the game's release, DICE reduced some character customization options to better match historical accuracy.
In August, the Cowen Group, which analyzes the gaming industry, reported that pre-order sales for Battlefield V were weak, 85% lower than those for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.
Battlefield V received mostly positive reviews from critics, but the PS4 version received mixed or average reviews, according to Metacritic. In Game Informer's 8/10 review, they wrote that the game's success will depend on how well the new cooperative mode, Firestorm battle royale mode, and ongoing content updates perform. GamesRadar+ gave the game 3.5/5 stars, praising the gameplay but criticizing the online multiplayer experience, saying it was not as exciting as the game's World War I predecessor.
In November, it was reported that Battlefield V sold fewer than half the physical copies sold by Battlefield 1 during its launch in the same period. The game sold 7.3 million units by the end of 2018. On February 5, 2019, EA's CEO, Andrew Wilson, said the game did not meet sales goals. He blamed the marketing strategy and the focus on a single-player campaign instead of a battle royale mode, which had become popular. Wilson also mentioned the game's long development time and its release during a month with strong competition. EA's stock price dropped by about 18% during its third quarter, which the company partly attributed to the game's poor sales.
In Japan, the PlayStation 4 version of Battlefield V sold 110,653 units during its first week of release, ranking fourth on the all-format sales chart.