Update 1.19

The new update went live on February 20 and has added some long-awaited bug and optimisation fixes. The menu and HUD received some attention, with display issues on PC and PS4 being addressed. Dice have also changed the endgame statistics to better reflect how the final score was reached in different game modes. They have also rebalanced many of the weapons and vehicles. The update affects mostly air vehicles but also many ground vehicles as well. Dice have also made gameplay changes to maps, reorganising spawn points and weapon drop zones.

The biggest addition in the update is the new Affliction system. Available to players who have completed at least 8 service assignments, Afflictions are challenged that detriment the player. Death Toll forces the player to lose 200 points if they go to the deploy screen after dying. Peacock makes player who have been spotted stay marked until they die. Reaper damages the player 1hp per second but can be delayed by 10 seconds if they kill another player. Scavenger gives players only one magazine of ammo when spawning and Paranoid makes the gas mask irremovable. Players who tough it through these afflictions will be rewarded with unique dog tags.

Apocalypse DLC

The new game mode, Air Assault, forces players into the sky

Maps

The two biggest map additions are for the new Air Assault game mode. London Calling and Razor’s Edge are two new plane only maps that highlight how overdue the Air Assault mode is. Dice also released three new maps for Operations. Caporetto looks at a relatively unknown conflict between Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces. With rivers, creeks and ruins, players can benefit from more long range weapons like snipers and artillery guns. River Somme takes a snapshot of the Great War’s bloodiest battle and throws players in the thick of it. The death and destruction that surrounds players in River Somme perfectly encapsulates the darker tone of Apocalypse. The final map is my personal favourite, Passchendaele. Passchendaele recreates the true horror of WWI as players charge into battle through mud-bogged trenches and devastated country sides. Apocalypse is an appropriate title for the DLC, as Dice have saved the most disastrous conflicts for last.

One of the new maps, Passchendaele, recreates one of the First World War's most horrific battles.

Weapons and Vehicles

To accompany the new Air Assault mode, Apocalypse gives players the Airco DH 10 and Hansa-Brandenburg G.I. bomber planes. Assault classes have access to the RSC SMG Factory and Optical, unlocked through Assault kills and vehicle damage, as well as immediate access to the AA Rocket Gun, in order to launch devastating flak clouds against planes. Medics can unlock the Howell Automatic Factory and Sniper through Medic kills and healing teammates. The LMG 08/18 Low Weight and Suppressive are available for Supports who perform kills and resupplies. Finally, the Scout can unlock the Ross MkIII Marksman and M1917 Infantry through kills and accumulating 2500 meters of headshots with snipers.

Assaults gain access to the new AA Rocket Gun to combat the new planes.

Full patch notes are available on the Battlefield website. Battlefield 1: Apocalypse is currently in a 2-week early access period for owners of the Battlefield Premium Pass and/or Battlefield 1: Revolution. The DLC can be purchased on its own for $24.99 on March 6.