Before anyone gets too excited, “The Company” isn’t what you think it is. Nope, it’s not related to the Bad Company franchise in any way, but rather, it’s a game feature that lets you collect and specialize how you want to play Battlefield V!

As players journey through World War 2 in the game and continue it through Tides of War, it all starts with your Company. A player’s Company is their own personal collection of soldiers, tanks, vehicles, and weapons where they can pick which ones they want to bring into battle, customize them to fit their play style and grow them over time. The more they play, the more they’ll progress, and the more rewards they can earn to outfit their Company.

Prepare to read more about the classes that will be available in BFV, as well as “combat roles.”

Building Your Company

There will be two multiplayer factions at launch – the British and German armies – that you can build your Company from. You’ll be able to create one personalized Company per faction, each containing a set of soldiers and vehicles to tinker with. 

Although armies fight for the same goal, each unit stands on their own.

Your Battlefield V accolades and achievements are forever etched in your Company. From each Chapter in Tides of War to every multiplayer mode, your time spent playing Battlefield V contributes to the growth of your Company. Soldiers, weapons, and vehicles can be unlocked and then advanced through deep feature customization, thanks to the five progression ranks: Career, Class, Weapon, Vehicle and Chapter. 

Four Classes

The iconic classes of Recon, Support, Assault, and Medic return – each excelling at different battlefield conditions than the other, according to their distinct abilities and loadout. You can switch between classes during matches, so you’ll always have the best tools and skills for the fight. Weapons and gadgets are set per Class.

Assault
The Assault class is the infantry backbone, always out front and excelling when it comes to close-quarter battles. This is the class usually found between the enemy and a capture point or kicking down doors to clear a blasted-out Fortification. Medium to long range weapons that require snap decision-making and shotguns are the Assault class’ tools of the trade. They also know their way around explosives, a nitroglycerin thumb, so to speak.

Support
The Support class keeps their squad moving at every turn. They close the gap between intense firefights by keeping teammates resupplied and excel at laying down sustained fire to wipe out enemies or cover squad members. Their weaponry is fit for close and medium range and typically has a high rate of fire, letting you lay down a steady stream of bullets. The Support class is also a Fortification expert, able to build them quicker than any other class, as well as able to add mounted guns and other hardware to them.

Medic
The Medic is the difference between life and death, helping the squad survive as long as possible. When fighting, there’s nothing more important than protecting your fellow soldiers, and that’s where the Medic class shines bright. They hold their own in combat with medium-range weapons, but the medic’s true weapon is the syringe, which revives any teammate faster than the new non-medic revive available to everyone in your squad.

Recon
This class is the glint of reflective light the enemy sees in the distance before they’re on the ground calling for a Medic. The sniper rifle is the hallmark of the Recon class, where precision, patience, and map knowledge let them neutralize enemies from afar. They’re also instrumental for team play – the Recon class can use its range and Gadgets to call out intelligence to their team.

Combat Roles (Formerly, Archetypes)

Consider the four base classes as a starting point. New to Battlefield V is the introduction of Combat Roles, previously known as “Archetypes.” Each Class gets two Combat Roles at launch to choose from, with one equipped as a default. More Combat Roles will release gradually as part of Tides of War, giving players enough time to master each before providing them with additional options to choose from.

Combat Roles for each class offer a deeper level of customization, which lets you better adapt to the battlefield situation. Think of them as a type of swap-able package of benefits that gives you more flexibility to tackle a specific objective. For example: let’s say you are pushing foes back non-stop as an Assault Class, and suddenly the enemy starts rolling in more tanks — you can quickly adjust by switching to a Combat Role that gives you a set of benefits meant to better deal with enemy vehicles.

Your class and Combat Role can then be further refined by equipment loadouts, tuned to best suit your upcoming fight. You can also design the look of your soldiers through cosmetic changes, by applying distinct faces, diverse outfits, and war paint so that the enemy never forgets who fired that last round. Building your own soldiers, customizing their weapons, and selecting their visual design gives you a more personal and tactical experience.

You can read up on vehicles and other info right here. In the second part of DICE’s Battlefield V info blowout, we’ll be looking at The Company from a developer perspective, while for part three, fans can expect a deeper look at equipment progression.