Battlefield 5 Firestorm release date and new map revealed

Not to be outdone by its contemporaries, Battlefield 5 will be getting its own battle royale mode, dubbed Firestorm, and it comes with an all-new map. Today, EA took the opportunity to give Firestorm an official release date of March 25, while offering the first concrete details of its map, Halvøy.

Battlefield 5 originally launched in November of 2018 following a short delay to work on issues that arose during its multiple alpha and beta sessions. While the base game arrived in good shape, many fans were disappointed that the premiere of Battlefield’s take on the battle royale genre, Firestorm, was absent at launch. After several months in development in conjunction with the team at Criterion, DICE is getting ready to push out Firestorm to the community later this month.

Earlier today on Twitter, the official Battlefield account posted the first official details for Halvøy, making sure to tout its large size. It will be the largest map ever released in a franchise that is known for its large maps.

In an official blog post, the development teams laid out details of what players can expect from Firestorm. The mode will make use of 64 players divided into 16 squads of four players. Like most other battle royale games, players will drop out of the sky onto the map and then battle each other while the available play area shrinks over time. Firestorm adds a few twists to the mix, including the integration of Battlefield 5’s vehicles, objectives, and weapons.

A few more bullet points from the blog post offer the basic details that players need to know:

Wage war in a ring of fire that slowly shrinks the battlefield – don’t get trapped
Fight to be the last infantry squad standing of 64 players in 16 squads
The game-changing addition of Battlefield vehicles lets you wipe out unsuspecting squads with a tank or drive to survive with transport vehicles
Work together as a squad to secure objectives that grant better and rare gear
Clash on the biggest Battlefield map to date
Transform the map with Destruction
Feel battle royale brought to life with stunning Battlefield graphics and audio
Matches are tied to your Company and Battlefield V progression

The madness begins on March 25 when Firestorm is unleashed for owners of Battlefield 5. Time will tell if the mode can achieve the popularity of Call of Duty Blackout or other dedicated battle royale games like Fortnite and Apex Legends.