No, not all Battlefield 5 DLC is free
As a hardcore Battlefield fan and gaming industry analyst, one of the most common questions I see is whether all additional content for Battlefield 5 is available for free. With past games featuring paid premium passes that fractured the player base, DICE took a new approach with BF5. However, it‘s not entirely free either. Let me break it down for you.
Multiplayer Maps & Modes
The biggest change with Battlefield 5 was making all post-launch multiplayer maps and modes available to all players for free. This was excellent news for fans like myself who hated having the community divided by Map Pack purchases.
According to MP1st, Battlefield 5 received a total of 8 free multiplayer maps over 2019-2020:
- Panzerstorm
- Mercury
- Marita
- Operation Underground
- Wake Island
- Solomon Islands
- Iwo Jima
- Al Marj Encampment
Popular maps like Wake Island from past Battlefield games made a free return. And new Pacific Theatre locales like Iwo Jima and Solomon Islands came as part of the massive War in the Pacific update.
Not only were maps free, but new factions, weapons, vehicles, and game modes were added at no additional cost over Battlefield 5‘s live service period.
So on the multiplayer front, DICE delivered big time by not fracturing their playerbase with paid map packs.
New Single Player Content
However, single player content was a different story. New war stories for the solo and co-op combined arms modes were released as paid DLC rather than free updates.
The most notable one was The Last Tiger War Story – an acclaimed new campaign showing the perspective of a German Tiger tank crew. Released in December 2018, this exciting new story chapter cost $15 alone – almost a quarter the price of the base game!
Clearly DICE put significant resources into crafting these cinematic new narratives. But charging extra limited the number of players that got to experience them.
Elite Soldier Skins
Finally, direct purchase cosmetic items also populated Battlefield 5‘s storefront. Elite characters with signature looks, skins, and takedown animations continue to get listed for premium currency.
The cost of these cosmetics has ranged from $5 for simple starter packs to $30 for the fancy Christmas-themed Ilse Schattenwolf Elite.
So while the core game may no longer have a Premium Pass, there are still plenty of cosmetic microtransactions for sale.
The Free DLC Model – A Success?
Based on player counts and sentiment, I believe Battlefield 5‘s free multiplayer DLC model was a success. As a service-focused live game, keeping the community united is crucial for longevity. And Battlefield 2042 seems to be continuing the trend of no paid map packs announced yet.
However, the player in me is still disappointed that exciting single player content got locked behind a paywall. And scraping together Battlefield Coins for some elite skins also stings. So while the free maps and weapons keep me playing, I do miss the days when expansion packs included fresh content across all modes.
Here‘s an overview of Battlefield 5‘s full post-launch content roadmap across different areas:
| Content Type | Free Updates | Paid DLC |
|---|---|---|
| Multiplayer Maps | 8 Maps | None |
| Factions | US & Japan | None |
| Weapons & Vehicles | Many Added | None |
| Single Player Campaigns | None | 1 Paid DLC Story |
| Elite Soldier Skins | None | Multiple Paid Skins |
I hope this insider breakdown gives you a better understanding of Battlefield 5‘s free vs paid DLC situation! Let me know if you have any other BF questions. As a hardcore fan following this franchise for over a decade, I‘m happy to provide additional analysis of what worked and what didn‘t as DICE continues evolving the live service model.
