EA has opted to release a flurry of new details relating to its upcoming cops versus robbers shooter Battlefield Hardline, which will contain nine maps and seven gameplay modes at launch.
Ardent fans of the blockbuster series will be pleased to note that Conquest makes a return to the action, which matches teams of players together and encourages them to control strategic areas of the environment for as long as possible. Given that this mode in particular can host up to 64 users, it’s exciting to see it return for Visceral Games’ first foray at the helm and how the studio will mould it around Hardline‘s good guy, bad guy gunfights.
But Visceral is also balancing the old with the new, introducing BF fans to novel game modes such as Blood Money. Here, players will take up arms on either side of the law in an attempt to steal money from the other team’s vault — cue the cinematic references to Michael Mann’s Heat. Still, Battlefield Hardline is wearing its inspirations for all to see, and you can find a detailed list of all of the game modes both old and new over on EA’s official site.
In terms of maps, these objectives will play out across nine in total. One in particular, Hollywood Heights, will have players run and gun their way through some of California’s most prized real estate, no doubt racking up a pretty hefty expenses bill in the process. Other arenas includes Bank Job, Downtown and, in swapping the urban for the rural, Dust Bowl, which will see FPS fans duke it out in a decrepit state best known for meth-trafficking problems. Heisenberg vs. Hank? We can only hope.
Battlefield Hardline is due to arrive on March 17 across console platforms and PC. However, if a leaked email is to be believed, EA is prepping the shooter’s upcoming beta test to drop on February 3. According to Reddit, the message comes from a Ronku account — a sponsorship company that partners with large YouTubers — and it looks to be that the date is indeed accurate. Nevertheless, we’ll update you as soon as we learn more.