‘Battlefield 1’ update adds a new map, and it won’t cost players a penny

Battlefield 1 is getting even gloomier with the launch of a new map, Giant’s Shadow, and even if you haven’t purchased the season pass, it’s available absolutely free.

“Giant’s Shadow” takes place during the Battle of the Selle in 1918, which saw Germany take on an allied force of British, New Zealand, and Canadian troops.

“With a massive crashed airship casting its shadow on the battlefield, you can expect fierce combat on the open ground and river banks alongside the Cateau-Wassigny railway, EA’s Jonas Elving said in the announcement. “Try out the new Support class gadget — the ‘Grenade Crossbow’ — and turn the tide with an armored train.”

The map looks like quintessential Battlefield, with rows of trains providing cover and open, grassy areas giving snipers plenty of room to pick off a few targets. The trailer also shows a soldier firing the aforementioned Grenade Crossbow at an armored train, though we find it unlikely that this can actually disable the vehicle quickly. Thus far, the armored train is a nearly impenetrable colossus that is only limited by the tracks it drives along. The crossbow itself also looks comically crude — it’s essentially just a normal crossbow with a metal tube designed to rip the pins from hand grenades.

While Giant’s Shadow won’t be available to the general Battlefield 1 player base until December 20, anyone who pre-ordered the game or purchased the season pass has access to it starting today. Along with the map, the latest update introduces a new Spectator Mode for those who want to sit back and observe a battle from afar, as well as a new “standard issue rifles” custom game mode. The mode appears to be in response to complaints that the core Battlefield 1 experience wasn’t representative of World War I, and it forces every player to use their country’s standard issue rifle without any optics.

Are you still playing Battlefield 1, or have the game’s somber themes weighed too heavily on you? Let us know!