Even though it has only been a few months, it seems like an eternity since Battlefield 1 launched and reignited our love for the series’ classic multiplayer madness. To get us playing the excellent World War I shooter again, developer Dice will soon introduce an expansion that brings with it four new maps, a new mode, and a nation ready to help fight.
Launching first to Battlefield 1 Premium Pass-holders in March, They Shall Not Pass is the game’s first expansion and includes a recreation of one of the most iconic World War I battlefields: the French city of Verdun. The map, “Verdun Heights,” sees a forest completely ablaze as the French and German armies clash in a deadly struggle, with artillery constantly raining down upon the soldiers.
“This is an uphill battle towards the massive fortresses of Verdun,” said the official announcement. This battle, and the They Shall Not Pass expansion, is the first time we’ve seen French soldiers in Battlefield 1.
The expansion’s second map, “Fort Vaux,” takes France and Germany inside to a “maze of dark galleries and wet stone corridors.” It’s one of the only indoor maps in the entire game and should offer a nice change of pace from the long, sniper-heavy areas we typically see.
For vehicular combat, it looks like “Soissons” will be your destination. The battle mixes together both tanks and planes over a French village “in the early hours of a hot summer day.”
The last map included in the expansion is “Rupture,” located on the Aisne river. Broken-down tanks provide cover for infantry as they move forward, and bright red flowers litter the ground as a reminder of a more peaceful time.
You won’t be playing just “Domination” or “War Pigeons” on the new maps, though. “Frontline” is an all-new mode that mixes together elements of Conquest and Rush to create a “tug-of-war” dynamic. By design, it sounds like it will be a white-knuckle affair.
In addition to the new maps and mode, They Shall Not Pass also adds the “Trench Raider Elite” class, perfect for digging and defending a point, as well as two new armored vehicles and the “Siege Howitzer” stationary weapon.
Will you be playing Battlefield 1 again when the new expansion is released? Let us know in the comments!
