E3 2016: Battlefield 1 Operations mode sees online multiplayer battles spanning multiple maps

Last night (12 June 2016), following EA's E3 press conference held in Los Angeles and London, EA DICE announced a new online multiplayer mode for upcoming First World War shooter Battlefield 1. Entitled Operations, the mode links together battles across multiple maps to recreate actual military operations from The Great War.

Speaking to IBTimes UK, Battlefield 1's Multiplayer producer Andreas Morell said: "You'll be able to play a sequence of battles that took place in history. So at EA Play here, we're introducing the first one, which is Kaiserschlacht [also known as the 1918 Spring Offensive], an actual German operation that took place.

"So you'll be playing St Quentin Scar, that's the first map which would lead on – if you manage to push the defenders off the map – to a fight inside Amiens. It's that sequence of battles over several months that we can do."

EA DICE published a blog post detailing the new mode further, which says: "As an attacker you'll hear the commanding officer's whistle as the order to charge the enemy trench is given.

You'll run side-by-side with your teammates as you storm towards the enemy defensive positions on foot, in tanks, aeroplanes, boats and on horseback. As a defender, you'll dig down as you hear the alarm go off signalling an incoming attack. You'll man the stationary machine-guns and cannons to aid you as you rain hell on the advancing enemy attackers.

"The attackers must capture and hold all defensive positions in order to capture the sector that is being fought over. Once this is done, the defenders will fall back to the next sector and regroup. The pacing and variety between the different sectors vary widely, since each sector offers a different amount of objectives to capture and defend as well as varied layouts and choke points.

"The attackers must take territory and push the frontline forward, while the defenders are trying to hold the line. Should the defenders fail to hold their ground on a map, the Operation doesn't stop here: they will fall back and regroup on a different map, while the attackers will continue to push. Sectors may fall, but players reinforced by gigantic Behemoths can still turn the tide."

Behemoths were also announced during the show. These are enormous vehicles – an airship, as seen above, a train or a battleship – that can turn the tide of a battle.

Battlefield 1 launches on PS4, Xbox One and PC on 21 October.