Electronic Arts and DICE have revealed the maps and modes you’ll be able to try out when Battlefield 1 launches in October, and they appear to a diverse range of locations, as well as an odd, bird-based mode that could only be possible in a World War I game.
The maps available on October 21 will be “Ballroom Blitz,” “Argonne Forest,” Fao Fortress,” “Suez,” “The St. Quentin Scar,” “Sinai Desert,” “Amiens,” “Monte Grappa,” and “Empire’s Edge.” In December, the map “Giant’s Shadow” will also be available for free.
If the sandy Sinai Desert map available during the game’s beta had you bored, the eclectic mix of climates in the full game should have you a little more excited. “Ballroom Blitz” looks like a particularly unique setting, taking place at a French chateau filled with both chandeliers and American tanks. “Empire’s Edge,” meanwhile, contrasts a beautiful Adriatic shoreline with the horror of war.
Six modes will also be available at launch. In addition to the Conquest and Rush modes that have been a staple of the series for years — and were playable in the beta — Battlefield 1 also includes Team Deathmatch, Operations, Domination, and a mode called “War Pigeons.”
“Operations” may be the largest mode we’ve seen in the series, as it spans across multiple maps, with teams moving back and forth as attackers gain new territory. Developer DICE aims for a game of Operations to take over an hour and “capture the stories of how different battles were deeply connected to one another.”
“War Pigeons,” as hilarious as the name may be, is actually based on real communications tactics used in World War I, as well. Without access to more complex technology, units were forced to use pigeons to relay messages. The mode has both sides fighting over a pigeon coop spawned on the map, and moving it to the designated location will allow you to order an artillery barrage on the enemy team. It’s unclear if Mike Tyson will make a cameo appearance.
Battlefield 1 launches for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on October 21.
