Battlefield fans can play the latest entry in the franchise more than a week early, but only if they are a member of EA or Origin Access, EA has announced.
EA Access on Xbox One and Origin Access on PC, which give players unlimited access to older EA games and early access to new ones, will let subscribers start playing Battlefield 1 on Oct. 13, more than a week ahead of the game's official retail release. All progress made during the early access period will carry over to the full release of the game.
A week's head start is certainly tempting, but there are a few catches. First, players can only play Battlefield 1 through the services for a total of 10 hours during the trial period, which ends a day before the release of the standard version of the game on Oct. 20.
Not all of the game's maps will be available at the start either. During the first five days of the trial period, players can play on the game's The St. Quentin Scar, Amiens, Sinai Desert, Fao Fortress and Suez maps, which will all be playable in the Conquest, Rush, Operations and Domination game modes. On Oct. 18, the players who purchased the early enlister deluxe edition of Battlefield 1 will be able to play, while the remaining maps will become playable for those using the trial on EA or Origin Access, if the 10-hour trial limit has not already been used.
In addition to the trial's multiplayer offerings, players can also try out Battlefield 1's single-player campaign. Two single-player missions, "Storm of Steel" and "Through Mud and Blood," will be available for play during the trial period.
Those who decide to give the trial a spin will get a few exclusive rewards to boot. Participating in the trial will earn players an exclusive "Trench Raider" dog tag, while those who use the trial's full 10 hours will gain a battlepack to be opened in the full game when it releases. You can learn more about EA Access, and sign up, here.
More than 13 million players recently took the Battlefield 1 beta for spin, making it the largest beta in EA history. You can read up on some of the player statistics to come from the beta here. DICE used player data to make some significant changes to the game, changes that include making the game's horses less durable and bringing down the Light-Tank a few notches.
