In a surprise announcement today, EA has moved the launch date of Battlefield 5 back a month to November 20, 2018. Battlefield 5 was originally due out October 19, sandwiched between the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and Red Dead Redemption 2 - two massive, AAA blockbuster titles.
In a statement provided on their website, EA explained the decision to delay the game was made in an effort to make some "meaningful improvements to the core gameplay experience." Specifically, EA mentioned they want to "ensure we really deliver on the potential of Tides of War." For those unfamiliar, Tides of War is EA's ambitious post-launch plans for Battlefield 5 which will offer an "ever-changing journey" that wills ee the core experience "evolve over time." Replacing the much-maligned Premium Pass, Tides of War will deliver new "themed experiences" and content every couple of months, completely free of charge.
"You have told us that you are seeing an increased focus on squad play come through, you are also feeling the difference in our revamped player movement and we are getting a lot of positive feedback for our improved weapons handling," EA said. "You’ve also spurred us to make some meaningful improvements to the core gameplay experience, including adjusting the gameplay tempo, improving soldier visibility and reducing player friction."
EA noted that many of these improvements will be reflected in Battlefield 5's Open Beta which starts next week on September 6.
"We believe we have one of the best Battlefield games ever on our hands. A game that will deliver on an emotional journey through the return of unseen single player War Stories, a deep multiplayer experience, Battle Royale, along with our new live service, Tides of War – a journey across multiple theaters of WW2 and designed to keep our community together," the publisher continued. "With the Open Beta just around the corner, we are excited about the millions of you who will join us and experience the game. And we fully expect to see even more feedback coming our way."
Despite EA's commitment to delivering the best possible gameplay experience, it's hard to completely ignore that some of the motivation behind the delay was due to lackluster pre-orders. With both Black Ops 4 and Red Dead Redemption 2 releasing in October, it's possibly EA is also looking to get some breathing room from the intense sales competition. The shift to November puts Battlefield 5's release ahead of the busy holiday season and the all-important Black Friday.