The next major update for Battlefield 5 will begin rolling out this week, and it introduces new additions that will excite fans new and old. The second chapter of the free content update will be called Lightning Strikes, and it’s poised to introduce two new game modes, new weapons, new skins, and more. Electronic Arts hyped the upcoming Battlefield 5 content drop with an action-packed new trailer which doesn’t shy away from showing gore as it shows off the upcoming game modes.
The first of these new modes is called Squad Conquest, and it will launch between January 17 to January 30. It’s a more condensed version of the pre-existing Conquest mode, and will involve two squads per team who will engage on smaller, more tactical map variants of the Arras, Hamada, and Rotterdam.
When the calendar page flips to February, a brand new co-op mode called Combined Arms will release. DICE has kept most details about the mode under wraps, though it’s generally assumed that the co-op aspect will involve up to 4 players. Lightning Strikes will also re-introduce the Rush game mode, which involves two teams taking turns attacking and defending. It was a popular game mode in previous Battlefield titles, and early fan reaction seems to indicate many are excited to have it back.
The update will also bring in three more popular weapons of the era: the ZK-383 SMG (for medic class), the Modele 1944 semi-automatic rifle (for assault class), and the M 1922 MMG (for support class). Players can unlock them through weekly challenges in the coming months, giving good incentive to keep Battlefield 5 players coming back. There’ll be a variety of new character skins, too, with Critereon Software doing some fan service and including outfits that feature gloves - a popular request for playing Winter-specific maps. Lightning Strikes will also include a large count of bug fixes, the full extent of which can be seen here.
The trailer has an additional bonus scene that shows a squad of soldiers about to commandeer a tractor, an idea that the game’s fanbase evidently thinks is the best highlight. Criteon is keeping some portions of the second chapter under wraps for now, and it’s likely that commandeering tractors won’t be the only new addition not fully explored in the trailer. Until then, though, it looks like Farming Simulator has the next-gen market locked down for tractor driving experiences.
Once Lighting Strikes concludes in March, a third chapter titled Trial By Fire is slated to drop later on that month.
Battlefield 5 is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
