The next ‘Battlefield’ game is set in World War I, launches in October

Ben Silverman
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(Image: EA)

Call of Duty might be doubling down on the future, but EA’s competing Battlefield is headed back to the past.

On Friday, the company formally announced Battlefield 1, the next game in their long-running shooter series. It’s headed in a new direction, eschewing World War II and modern day settings by taking players around the globe to fight huge battles in World War I. It’s due out on October 21, 2016.

Behold the trailer, in all its noisy glory:

During a media event, EA called World War I “the most technologically divergent war” and hopes to channel that in-game with a diverse mix of vehicles, gear, and weaponry. Indeed, the trailer pulls together biplanes, tanks, zeppelins, flame throwers, and horses into what looks like some pretty serious chaos. In addition to the basic classes (Medic, Assault, Scout, etc.), the game will include new vehicle-specific classes like Tank Driver and Pilot (and since there are horses, fingers crossed for “Cowboy” or “Jockey”).

EA also mentioned that they’re beefing up hand-to-hand combat — bayonet charges, FTW — but it’s not all about trenches. True to form, Battlefield 1 will feature large, sprawling locations in colorful places like the Italian Alps, the deserts of Arabia, and even ancient ruins in France.

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(Image: EA)

While Battlefield is mostly considered a multiplayer experience, the new game will include a full story-based single-player campaign as well.

About that confusing name: technically there’s never been a Battlefield 1 (the first game was Battlefield 1942), so, sure, it’s available. It’s also an allusion to the war it’s covering. But it’s bound to wreak havoc on the naming conventions for future installments (Battlefield 2 came out in 2005, for what it’s worth).

The open beta launches later this year, but EA will undoubtedly reveal more about the game at their big EA Play event at the E3 conference in June.

Ben Silverman can’t wait to ride a Battlefield horse. He’s on Twitter @ben_silverman.