Electronics Arts and Visceral Games, have just unleashes Battlefield Hardline, which takes the franchise in a new direction! You will be put right in the middle of the war on crime, in two distinct cities, Los Angeles and Miami. You will get to be either cop or criminal and will be able to live out the fantasy that you choose. It will be launching in North America on October 21, 2014 for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and on the PC via Origin. It will be landing in Europe on October 24 and the United Kingdom on October 23. In a very nice move, there will be beta of Battlefield Hardline for the PS4 and PC starting today, of course it is on a first come first serve basis and you can sign up for a chance to play at at www.battlefield.com/beta.

In Battlefield Hardline you will get a unique single player and multiplayer experience, when playing by yourself you will get the feeling of a TV crime drama, but on multiplayer you will feel the satisfaction of what you accomplish. They are throwing in new modes, gadgets, vehicles, and of course weapons. As a cop you will be defending the public and busting criminals, while as a criminal you will be doing the opposite. Missions and story lines will include blowing up banks, shoot out subterranean grow-labs, and many others, but all of this leads to many different strategies and gameplay experiences. The new gadgets are not just guns, but they include zip-lines and grappling hooks. In terms of strategy, you might have to use a helicopter to reach the top of a skyscraper or you might need a motorcycle to squeeze through traffic. Either way I think this new direction for Battlefield will be an interesting one and will certainly create a lot of anticipation. You can see a gallery and press release below.

Gallery

Press Release

EA and Visceral Games to Deliver All-Out Cops and Criminals

Warfare in Battlefield Hardline

Closed Multiplayer Beta Available Now on PlayStation 4 and Origin for PC

Brand New Series Takes Battlefield to an All New Playground Coming October 21 in North America, October 23 in Europe

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Visceral Games™, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) studio and makers of the critically-acclaimed Dead Space series, today unveiled Battlefield™ Hardline, taking the award-winning Battlefield franchise to a new world filled with new ways to play. Coming October 21 in North America, Battlefield Hardline puts players right in the middle of the war on crime in the gritty and glamorous streets of Los Angeles and Miami, allowing gamers to live out their fantasy of being a cop or a criminal. The fantasy begins today in a bold move – Visceral Games is making Battlefield Hardline playable now for the public in a closed multiplayer beta on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and on Origin™ for PC. Players can sign up for a chance to play at www.battlefield.com/beta.

“This is an awesome opportunity to take one of gaming’s most exciting franchises in a new direction”

Delivering an all-new canvas for the best-in-class first person action gameplay the Battlefield franchise is known for, Battlefield Hardline sees Visceral Games bring its critically-acclaimed single player storytelling pedigree to provide an engaging story in a setting reminiscent of modern TV crime dramas. In multiplayer, fans will feel the thrill of the heist or the satisfaction of the ultimate bust with new twists including new modes, weapons, vehicles and gadgets.

“This is an awesome opportunity to take one of gaming’s most exciting franchises in a new direction,” said Steve Papoutsis, Vice President and General Manager of Visceral Games. “The cops and criminals fantasy is a great new backdrop for Battlefield and allows us to introduce an impactful story, while still maintaining that intense multiplayer action that fans expect. Best of all, the beta allows lots of fans to jump in and play immediately.”

Karl Magnus Troedsson, Vice President and Group General Manager of DICE and Visceral, added, “We’re always looking for new, exciting directions to take the Battlefield franchise, but it has to be a great experience that’s driven by passion and stays true to the heritage of Battlefield. Visceral has a great track record of creating emotionally charged stories with unforgettable atmosphere and we’re excited to see them bring this approach to single player and to see how they add to Battlefield’s best in class multiplayer action. Hardline is fun, fresh and yet still very much a Battlefield game.”

Powered by DICE’s award-winning Frostbite 3 game engine, Battlefield Hardline lets players trigger jaw-dropping Levolution events as they shoot out subterranean grow-labs, blow open bank vaults, or tear apart the streets of Los Angeles. Introducing a new arsenal of guns and gadgets, including stun guns, zip lines, and grappling hooks, players take on a bold new level of strategy as both cops and criminals on every map. Maintaining the epic vehicular combat fans have come to expect from Battlefield, Battlefield Hardline ushers in a fast and fresh urban approach to vehicles with loot-laden getaway motorcycles and nimble police choppers to navigate sprawling skyscrapers.

Coming October 21 of this year in North America, Battlefield Hardline will be available for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One®, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, PC via Origin™, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft. Battlefield Hardline will be available in Europe beginning October 23 and in the United Kingdom on October 24.

Players looking to head into this new playground with some extra gear can pre-order the Battlefield Hardline Deluxe Edition. With three in-game content packs as well as an additional 10 Battlepacks*, the Battlefield Hardline Deluxe Edition ensures players will hit the streets ready for whatever comes at them. For more information on the Battlefield Hardline Deluxe Edition as well as all pre-order offers please visitwww.battlefield.com/preorder.