One of the few compelling newsbites from Electronic Arts’ 2013 Gamescom press conference focused on Battlefield 4, and specifically confirmation that the DICE shooter will once again be released alongside a value-added season pass. The Battlefield 4 Premium membership carries a $50 price tag, just like 2012’s offering for Battlefield 3, and those who sign up once again have an assortment of DLC downloads to look forward to along with a few other extras.
There are five confirmed DLC packs in all: Second Assault, featuring four re-worked maps from BF3; China Rising, a series of maps set on China’s mainland due in December 2013; Naval Strike, bringing ocean-based combat to BF4 in spring 2014; Dragon’s Teeth, focusing on urban warfare in summer 2014; and Final Stand, in which “the war [reaches] its epic conclusion,” also due out in summer 2014.
Premium subscribers also enjoy a number of other benefits, including two weeks of early access to all of the expansion packs; bonus camos, paints, emblems, and dogtags; priority placement in server queues; 12 bonus Battlefield 4 Battlepacks; and unspecified “new content” every week.
DICE also confirmed that Battlefield 3 Premium subscribers will join Battlefield 4 Digital Deluxe and Medal of Honor Warfighter pre-orderers in enjoying three days of early access to the Battlefield 4 beta, which launches in “early October.” The beta opens up after that, with all comers able to play on the game’s “Siege of Shanghai” map in Conquest mode. The full game then hits stores on October 29.
