Battlefield V Delayed to November

EA has announced that Battlefield V, the latest entry in the popular multiplayer shooter series, has been delayed to November 20th. The game was originally scheduled to launch on October 19th.

In a post on the official Battlefield website, DICE General Manager Oskar Gabrielson states that the additional time will be used to “make some final adjustments to core gameplay, and to ensure we really deliver on the potential of Tides of War.” Tides of War is Battlefield V‘s post-launch update initiative, where gameplay-related content will be provided to all players free of charge.

Gabrielson mentions that some of the changes being made to the game include “adjusting the gameplay tempo, improving soldier visibility and reducing player friction.” Players will have a chance to try out these changes firsthand during the Battlefield V open beta, which is still scheduled to begin on September 6th.

The update doesn’t mention when the game will launch for those who purchase the Deluxe Edition, however. We’ll have to wait for an official announcement from EA, but before the delay, the early access period started three days before the general launch.

While delaying Battlefield V to make gameplay improvements is wise, it surely isn’t the only reason why EA made the move. With its original 10/19 release, the game was going to launch a week after Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and a week before Red Dead Redemption II, which could end up being the two best-selling games of the year. It seemed likely that Battlefield V would get lost in the shuffle, and EA probably helped the game’s sales by giving it room to breathe a month later. Back in 2016, the publisher launched Titanfall 2 a week after Battlefield 1 and a week before Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, and it sold poorly as a result.

With its new release date in place, Battlefield V will launch on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.