Battlefield 5's First Free DLC Delayed As Issue Discovered At The Last Minute

The first instalment in Battlefield V's free DLC campaign will not make it out on schedule. Developer DICE said on Twitter ahead of its planned release that it found an unspecified "issue" with the first Tides of War content, Chapter 1: Overture, and as such, the release is being held back--it had been due out on December 4.

"Rather than create issues in the game, we're holding the update for the time being," DICE said. The studio added that it will report back with an update as soon as possible, but for now the developer said it does not anticipate "a long delay."

Whereas previous Battlefield games charged money for extra content, Battlefield V is giving it away for free through the live service element known as Tides of War. Chapter 1: Overture adds a new map, Panzerstorm, which is set in 1940 Belgium. As its name suggests, it is a tank-focused map--and DICE says up to 17 tanks can duke it out at once on the map.

The Overture update also adds the fifth War Story single-player chapter, The Last Tiger. This missions sees you playing as a Nazi soldier who is fighting not only Allied forces but also "their own doubts about doubts about the ideology that led them to their now-inevitable defeat." You can see a brief tease for the campaign in the video below.

What's more, Overture introduces a new training mode called Practice Range, a tutorial mode of sorts that teaches you the basics of weapons and vehicles. Additionally, the update introduces new challenges that reward players with things like soldier outfits and weapon skins, while the game also adds cosmetic customisation options for tanks and other vehicles.

On a further-out timeline, Battlefield V will introduce a battle royale mode called Firestorm in March.