The Weapons, Vehicles, and Classes of the Battlefield V Closed Alpha
Several, but far from all, aspects of Battlefield™ V will be tested in the upcoming Closed Alpha – one of several tests planned for the game before launch. In this post, we'll go through the weapons, vehicles, and classes we'll be testing in the Closed Alpha.
Note that game content, gameplay mechanics, and other Battlefield V aspects covered in this article may change between the Closed Alpha and the launch of the game.
Get an overview look at what the Battlefield V Closed Alpha is about.
Why a Closed Alpha?
The Closed Alpha is designed to help us ensure stability, balance, and more for Battlefield V. It gives players a hands-on experience of the game and is a way for us to stress-test servers and improve several Battlefield V aspects, thanks to the participation and feedback from those taking part.
Factions and Map
In the Closed Alpha, Great Britain and Germany are the two factions fighting in the town of Narvik on the map Arctic Fjord, a setting based on the German occupation of Norway in 1940. To keep the war machine running, the Germans needed a steady supply of natural resources, which led to the invasion of the Scandinavian country. Alpha participants will fight by the crucial ports and town areas of this snowy map, built to cater for many different play styles.
New and Classic Game Modes
We will be testing Grand Operations during the Closed Alpha, and as you may know, this vast multiplayer experience strings together various Battlefield V modes, and extends the fight over several in-game “days.” In the Closed Alpha's Grand Operation, we'll only test two of the days/modes: Airborne and Breakthrough.
In the former, you’ll either paradrop down to the battlefield to deal with enemy artillery, or fight to counter this attack if you’re on the other team. Breakthrough is similar to Operations in Battlefield 1, and here your goal is to capture or defend sectors, depending on what team you're on.
If you're a Battlefield fan, you already know about Conquest. In case you're not yet one: this all-out war mode sees two teams fighting to seize control of key control points – or flags – on the map. Those holding a majority of the flags and killing enemies will drain the opposition's ticket count faster and win the game.
Classes and Combat Roles
To make sure the individual roles on the battlefield are balanced and fun to play, we'll use the Closed Alpha to test the four main classes: Assault, Support, Medic, Scout. We're also testing some of the Battlefield V vehicles, meaning participants will also be able to play as the Tanker and Pilot classes by spawning into tanks and planes.
In Battlefield V, the new Combat Roles will let you tailor your play style even further. These can be described as specialized “sub-classes” to the Assault, Support, Medic, and Scout. The Closed Alpha will contain five of these Combat Roles. For instance, the Field Surgeon Combat Role is particularly fitting for Medics extra keen on keeping teammates alive, with its Syringe and Medical Crate. Should you play as a Machine Gunner – a Combat Role for the Support class – you'll be equipped with an MG34 and the Ammo Crate and Flare Gun gadgets.
Weapons, Gadgets, and Reinforcements
A plethora of weapons and gadgets will be tested in the Closed Alpha, a complete list of which you'll find at the bottom of this article. Alpha players using this hardware will be able to take out enemies from afar with the Kar98k bolt-action rifle, use Dynamite to demolish enemy vehicles, or rack up kills using smoke and fire and grenades – and much more. No matter the gun you choose in Battlefield V, you'll notice that we've removed the random bullet deviation from earlier games. Basically, this means you'll hit where you aim (excluding natural bullet drop, of course).
Reinforcements are extra powerful attacks that can be called in by the squad leader, after the squad has earned enough squad points, which are earned by performing well on the battlefield. In the Closed Alpha, there are two types of reinforcements. Players will be able to unleash the mighty V1 Rocket, the blast of which can be devastating. There's also the Churchill Crocodile Tank, a flame-throwing beast equipped with a main gun and a coaxial machine gun.
Improved Squad Play in a War of Attrition
Team play is the heart of Battlefield – and the heart of team play is your squad. This is particularly true in Battlefield V, where you'll need to rely on the various classes in your squad even more, but also gain more advantages if you work together.
We've made it easier to squad up and to stay connected, and we'll be testing these functions in the Closed Alpha. Creating a party with your friends is made a smoother affair, and you'll stay with it after your game session ends. If you join a game on your own, you'll always be assigned to a squad, and we've improved the squad matchmaking of this process.
In Battlefield V you'll face a war of attrition, meaning both ammo and health will sometimes be scarce. Playing as a squad increases your chances to counter this. Players staying close to teammates will receive swift ammo and medic support. If that is not enough, you can always loot killed enemies or visit resupply stations to fill up on ammo and health. Team work makes your all-out war dream work.
Progression and Missions
There are also some in-game challenges set up for testing in the Closed Alpha: one Special Assignment and several Daily Orders. Challenging your weapon, vehicle, and other skills, the Special Assignment is made up of various sub-tasks. Complete them, and you'll earn a Battlefield V Dog Tag, which will be added to your profile if you buy the full game once it's released. Activate the Special Assignment in the “ASSIGNMENTS” tab in the main menu. Daily Orders are mini-challenges that will be rotated, and can, for instance, challenge you to damage enemy vehicles or kill enemies of a certain class.
Closed Alpha – Full Content List
Below is the complete list of what the Closed Alpha will contain. Note that this is just a handful of content that Battlefield V may contain, and that we have several more tests planned – internal and external – for the many other sides of the game.
KEY INFORMATION
Platform
PC Only
Release Schedule
Pre-load: June 27 (0800 UTC)
Live: June 28 (0800 UTC)
Localization
English Only
PC SPECS
Minimum PC System requirements – CLOSED ALPHA
OS: 64-bit Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10
Processor (AMD): AMD FX-8350
Processor (Intel): Core i5 6600K
Memory: 8GB RAM
Graphics card (NVIDIA): NVIDIA GeForce® GTX 1050 / GTX 660 2GB
Graphics card (AMD): AMD Radeon™ HD 7850 2GB
DirectX: 11.0 Compatible video card or equivalent
Online Connection Requirements: 512 KBPS or faster Internet connection
Hard-drive space: 50GB
Recommended PC System requirements - CLOSED ALPHA
OS: 64-bit Windows 10 or later
Processor (AMD): AMD Ryzen 3 1300X
Processor (Intel): Intel Core i7 4790 or equivalent
Memory: 12GB RAM
Graphics card (NVIDIA): NVIDIA GeForce® GTX 1060 3GB
Graphics card (AMD): AMD Radeon™ RX 480 4GB
DirectX: 11.1 Compatible video card or equivalent
Online Connection Requirements: 512 KBPS or faster Internet connection
Available Disk Space: 50GB
REGIONS
Europe
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Great Britain, Georgia, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Isle Of Man, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Moldova, Montenegro, Macedonia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Slovenia, Svalbard & Jan Myen, Slovakia, San Marino, Turkey.
North America
Canada, Mexico, United States.
CLASSES, WEAPONS, AND GADGETS
Tanker
Weapons: Submachinegun, Pistol
Gadgets: AT Mine
Throwable: Frag Grenade
Melee: Fairbairn Sykes Knife UK or
Scout Knife M1916 GER
Pilot
Weapons: Submachinegun, Pistol
Gadgets: Flare Gun
Throwable: Frag Grenade
Melee: Fairbairn Sykes Knife UK or
Scout Knife M1916 GER
Assault – Grenadier Combat Role
Weapons: EMP, STG 44, Pistol
Gadgets: Sticky Dynamite, Panzerfaust
Throwable: Frag Grenade
Melee: Fairbairn Sykes Knife UK or
Scout Knife M1916 GER
Recon – Sniper Combat Role
Weapons: KAR 98, Pistol
Gadgets: Spotting Scope, Flare Gun,
Spawn Beacon
Throwable: Frag Grenade
Melee: Fairbairn Sykes Knife UK or
Scout Knife M1916 GER
Medic – Field Surgeon Combat Role
Weapons: Gewehr 43, Submachinegun, Pistol
Gadgets: Syringe, Medical Crate/Pouch
Throwable: Smoke Grenade
Melee: Fairbairn Sykes Knife UK or
Scout Knife M1916 GER
Support – Machine Gunner Combat Role
Weapons: MMG (MG34), Pistol
Gadgets: Ammo Crate, Flare Gun
Throwable: Fire Grenade
Melee: Fairbairn Sykes Knife UK or
Scout Knife M1916 GER
Support – Engineer Combat Role
Weapons: Light Machinegun, Pistol
Gadgets: Ammo Puch, AT Mine
Throwable: Fire Grenade
Melee: Fairbairn Sykes Knife UK or
Scout Knife M1916 GER
VEHICLES AND REINFORCEMENTS
Tanks
Valentine Tank UK
Churchill Tank UK
Panzer IV Tank GER
Planes
MK1 Aircraft UK
Blenheim Plane UK
Stuka Plane GER
Bf109 Plane GER
Additional
Pak 40 AT (towable)
Flak 38 AA (towable)
Sd. Kfz. 251 Transport
Reinforcements
V1 Rocket
Churchill Crocodile
PROGRESSION AND NEW FEATURES
Basic Soldier Progression
Player rank and Class rank
Missions
Set of daily orders rotating through each day
One Assignment
New Party System
Lobby and party creation
Squad matchmaking
Reinforcements
One call in per faction
One tank per faction
Team Play
Attrition and new squad spawning
BREAKDOWN
Game Modes
Grand Operations day 1 and 2 (Airborne and Breakthrough)
Conquest
64 players
Map
Artic Fjord
Join the fight on Xbox One, PlayStation® 4, and PC. Starting on October 11 for the EA Access and Origin Access Play First Trial, October 16 for Battlefield™ V Deluxe Edition early enlister access, and October 19 for the Battlefield™ V Standard Edition.
Prepare for deployment – pre-order Battlefield V.
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* REQUIRES PERSISTENT INTERNET CONNECTION, EA ACCOUNT, ACCEPTANCE OF (I) ALPHA AGREEMENT, (II) PRIVACY & COOKIE POLICY, AND (III) ORIGIN END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT, AND INSTALLATION OF THE ORIGIN CLIENT SOFTWARE (WWW.ORIGIN.COM/ABOUT) MUST BE 18+. GAMEPLAY PROGRESS, ACHIEVEMENTS, CHARACTERS, CHARACTER DATA AND/OR ANY OTHER VALUE OR STATUS INDICATORS ACHIEVED IN THE ALPHA WILL NOT TRANSFER TO MAIN GAME. ALPHA IS PRE-RELEASE SOFTWARE, MAY CONTAIN ERRORS/DEFECTS AND IS PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY.