DICE has provided details on the contents of Battlefield 1′s Winter update a day ahead of its release tomorrow. The main focus of the update is to improve progression systems and fix bugs. DICE outlined a good amount of the key changes during this afternoon’s livestream, and it was noted this was going to be a smaller, bug fix-focused type of patch. However, in response to fan feedback, it decided to announce some new features to help ease the wait before the next big update.
The maximum class rank has been increased from 10 to 50. This is available for not only the base classes, but also more specialized ones like Pilot and Tanker, as well as Elite Kits. When you achieve certain milestones, ranks 20, 30, 40, and 50, you will unlock new dog tags and customization options for your kill card.
Ribbons are also making a comeback in the Winter update. Unlike medals, these are all tracked constantly while playing. Performing certain tasks, like getting three kills while on a horse, give you not only a ribbon, but bonus experience as well. These can be unlocked repeatedly in a single match. 20 will come with this update, but expect more with future patches.
Rented out servers now have a new kick and ban option, as well as a way to enable map voting. Players can choose from one of two maps on the victory screen that they want to play next. Unfortunately, this is not something we will see on official servers quite yet, but DICE suggested that if there is a positive response to the feature, it could be added down the line.
A variety of UI, vehicle, and weapon changes will be in store as well. They were not detailed in full, but we know the heavy tank will now show up on the minimap and the cooldown on vehicles’ gas abilities will increase. The Martini-Henry, which was nerfed in a previous update, was deemed to have been hit too hard and is accordingly getting a small buff to give it more of a competitive edge.
Full patch notes will be released tomorrow, so more about specific changes will fill in any information gaps. The update rolls out across all platforms, but there was no specific time mentioned by DICE.
