Dataminers recently cracked open Battlefield 1‘s Closed Alpha, and exposed a treasure trove of information on the game.
Today I’m talking about some of the information from Battlefield 1’s closed alpha, dug up by dataminers “Lobix300,” “Spitart14,” and the creatively named “SorryEADICE,” on Reddit.
If you can’t view the video:
Specifically, I’m covering all the new details revealed about Battlefield 1’s multiplayer and the implications from a historical perspective. I am not a participant in the game’s alpha, and a big thanks to JackFrags for allowing me to use his footage.
Obviously, spoilers will follow. The information gleaned from the alpha may be inaccurate and may also not reflect the final game. If you missed my video on the singleplayer campaign, check it out here.
First, let’s talk weapons. A trove of weapon information was found in the alpha. I’ve combined the information from both leaks, and categorized the weapons by type:
- Submachine Guns
- Beretta 1918
- MP-18
- Standschuetze Hellriegel 1915
We’ve seen the Beretta and MP-18 in the game’s alpha footage. They’re the world’s first practical submachine guns. We already know DICE is taking some liberties with available weaponry, so I’m surprised these are the only submachine guns found in the files.
Others were in development at the time, like the Chauchat submachine gun, Villar Perosa, Beretta OVP, and the Thompson Annihilator prototype.
- Semi-Automatic Rifles
- Cei-Rigotti
- Winchester Model 1907
- Mondragon
- Remington Model 8
- Luger Rifle (Artillery)
- Mauser C96
The Cei-Rigotti never saw combat in World War I. It’s possible the Mauser C96 and Luger may be featured as both a pistol and a carbine.
- Lever and Bolt Action Rifles
- Martini Henry
- Springfield M1903
- Lee Enfield MK III SMLE
- Mauser Gewehr 98
- Mannlicher M1895
- Winchester M1895
- Light Machine Guns
- Bergmann Mp-15 n.A.
- Madsen
- Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie
- Lewis Gun
- Browning Automatic Rifle
The obvious absence the chauchat light machine gun is intriguing. DICE has said the French will have a multiplayer expansion dedicated to them.
- Shotguns
- Remington Model 10
- Winchester Model 1897
- Browning Auto 5
American soldiers were the only ones to regularly use shotguns in combat. The Germans so hated the weapon, they actually made a formal complaint, claiming the guns were against the Hague Convention on Land Warfare.
- Pistols
- Webley Bulldog Revolver
- Frommer Stop
- FN Model 1903
- Colt Pocket Hammerless
- Mauser 1914
- Kolibri
- Borchardt C-93
- Mars Automatic Pistol
- Steyr M1912
- Beretta Model 1915
- Luger P08
- Mauser C96
- Colt 1911
- Lancaster Pistol
- Webley-Fosbery Revolver
- Smith & Wesson Model 3 Revolver
- Bodeo Model 1889 Revolver
The sheer number of pistols here is honestly surprising. Hopefully this indicates there are other primary weapons that had not yet been implemented by the start of Battlefield 1’s alpha.
Aside from the absence of standard French weapons, there is also an absence of Russian weapons, yet the Winchester Model 1895 is specifically called the Russian 1895 in the closed Alpha. There’s nothing to indicate we’ll see the Eastern Front in Battlefield 1’s campaign, but the inclusion of Russian weapons probably means they will be featured in a DLC, like the French.
- Anti-Tank
- Vickers Q.F. Gun (“Rocket Gun”)
- Mauser 1918 T-Gewehr
- K Bullets are also mentioned for the Scout class, which were steel core, armor piercing rounds designed to be fired from a standard Mauser rifle.
Other new information included a few weapon attachments:
- Barrel
- Bayonet
- Compensator (limited to submachine guns)
- Flash-hider
- Heavy barrel
- Hexagonal barrel
- Narrow choke (shotguns only)
- Spread choke (shotguns only)
- Silencer
- Underbarrel
- Bipod
- Foregrip
- palm rest
- trench magazine
- Visual
- Buttpad
- Cheekriser
- C Stock
- Monopod
- Recoil plate
It’s unclear in most cases if these can be applied to all weapons, or are limited to some. These attachments likely alter your weapon’s behavior.
There are several melee weapon options, including the Hatchet, Knife, Saber, Shovel, Bayonet, Mace, and Trench Club.
There was also new information about the game’s gadgets. Anti-tank mines are listed as equipment for the assault class, while rifle grenades are present for medics, a mortar and tripwire bomb for the support class, and the aforementioned K bullet for the scout. Scouts also have access to a flare gun, which marks enemies on the map, similar to the MAV in Battlefield 4.
Customization also appears to be a big focus in Battlefield 1. The same data indicates we will be able to choose our multiplayer character’s face from eleven different skins, and there are many potential camouflage designs for weapons and vehicles.
New vehicle details emerged as well. There are references to a lot of naval assets in multiplayer, including boats, destroyers, battleships, transports, and even submarines. This could mean the inclusion of a naval superiority game mode, though no mention of that is found in the files.
There may also be battlefield or hero-type pickups in Battlefield 1. We’ve yet to see any gameplay with a flamethrower, but there are files referring to flametroopers, meaning you may find the weapon on the battlefield.
Dataminers also uncovered details on a few of Battlefield 1‘s multiplayer map names, ten in total. Some of the maps obviously reference actual World War I battles that may be included in the campaign, so possible spoilers.
- Maps:
- Amiens (Probably based on the Hundred Day’s Offensive in 1918).
- Chateau
- Desert
- Fao Fortress (Probably based on the Fao Landing in 1915).
- Forest
- Argonne (Probably based on the Meuse-Argonne offensive in 1918).
- Italian Coast (This is probably the announced “Empire’s Edge” map, likely based on the Adriatic campaign).
- Mountain Fort (This is probably the announced “Monte Grappa” map, which is probably based on the Battle of Vittorio Veneto in 1918).
- Scar (This is most likely the closed alpha’s map, The St. Quentin’s Scar, which is probably based on Operation Michael in 1918).
- Suez (Probably based on the Raid on the Suez Canal in 1915).
All of these maps have serious implications for Battlefield 1’s singleplayer campaign, as many multiplayer maps are inspired or copied from singleplayer chapters.
Dataminers also found several game modes listed in the leak:
- Rush
- Conquest
- Team Deathmatch
- Breakthrough (which is likely the new and massive Operations mode).
- Domination
- Possession
- Behemoth
- Air Superiority
Interestingly, there is no mention of a hardcore game mode, though that will likely be added by launch.
What do you make of all this information on Battlefield 1′s multiplayer mode? Does it have you concerned or excited? Tell us in the comments.
