COMPETETIVE MODE

One of the most well known and documented aspect of the game that never saw the light of day was the Competetive Mode which was meant to be released during Chapter 4. It was set to be a brand new segment of the game, separate from regular Multiplayer, Firestorm, Combined Arms and War Stories.

The mode was likely meant to be a spiritual successor to Incursions from Battlefield 1, and featured unique set of maps, modes, classes, weapons and gadgets designed with a 5v5 gameplay in mind.

After choosing a Doctrine, each squad member would have a chance to pick their class and kit they would have to commit to for the entire game. These included: Captain (Raid Captain, Control Captain), Assault (Range Assault, Saboteur, Shock Assault), Medic (Combat Medic, Trauma Surgeon), Support (Combat Engineer, Grenadier, Gunner) or Recon (Combat Sniper, Infiltrator, Tactician)

The actual in-game objectives in 5v5 mode would likely vary depending on the map. Those were set to include Extraction, Breakthrough, King of the Hill and Holdout.

COMBINED ARMS

The underwhelming version of Combined Arms coop mode that we got to experience is very different from what was originally planned for it. As we know from some pre-release interviews and datamining, Combined Arms was meant to be a more of an open-world style mode that took place on multiplayer maps, featuring randomized objectives and multi-tier extraction system.

Up to 4 players would be para-dropped into the map in a similar way to Battle Royale, tasked with completing a randomized objective that could vary from assassinating enemy colonels (who would be able to flee the map if injured), destroying radios / preventing enemy broadcasts, stealing sealed documents or destroying AA / artillery guns (time sensitive). The mode was focused more on stealth approach which would presumably award more XP, and featured suppressed weapons that could be found in crates scattered around the map. Failure to complete the objective quietly would not result in mission failure, but it would raise the alarm and summon enemy forces to players location resulting in a hard battle. Under such circumstances, players could still finish the mission by eliminating all enemies before advancing to the next segment.

At any point in time, player squad could chose to request and extraction out of the map. There would be three ways of doing so, first being finding a resistance contact located on the map to quietly pick you up. If players were too loud and enemy forces were to converge on the resistance hideout, that way out would become locked out. Second method of extraction was to head to the extraction zone, fortify and defend it until the allied forces arrived (as it is in the final version), though enemy forces would be able to capture the zone and force players out of it. In that case, the third and final chance of extraction would become available, though it is not known what it entailed.

Missions were to have several levels of completion depending on how well players have done (how many objectives were completed, in what manner and how they extracted), resulting in different tiers of rewards. Successfully completing and extracting would allow to advance onto another mission, creating a sort of replayable coop campaign.

While this version of the Combined Arms was scrapped for unknown reasons and replaced with simplified version we got in the end, there were also a number of CA missions in development which never made it into the game as DICE has completely given up on the mode after Chapter 3. The new missions would add maps such as Narvik (“Cold Case”, “Snowmen”), Aerodrome (“Redundant Regume”, “Desert Destruction”), Devastation (“Cathedral Cutthroats”, “Silent Zone”) aswell as potential mission on Panzerstorm.

GRIND

Grind was the first of two game modes which were available in Battlefield V for a (very) limited time. It was a variation of 64 player Conquest / Domination that took place on unique variants of Rotterdam, Twisted Steel, Narvik and Devastation. Map layouts were intentionally shrunk and turned into a linear-type design to emulate the close-quarters chaos of classics such as Operation Metro. More about these variants will be explored in the Maps section.

FORTRESS

Fortress was the second limited-time game mode, it was a unique take on Breakthrough that was available exclusively on a modified variant of Hamada. It had attacking team tasked with assaulting a single fortified sector with 3 capture points, which defending team had to protect at all cost.

CONQUER AND DESTROY

First proper unreleased game mode, it was presumably an attack-defend type mode where one team had to break past the beachheads that defending team could build, and destroy a number of objectives located deeper into the map in a similar manner to how planting explosives in Rush or Airborne work. Due to its reliance on beach warfare, it was presumably a Pacific-exclusive mode. 64 players.

INVASION

An interesting mode where both teams held a number of resource-based objectives. The goal was to raid and destroy enemy resources while also protecting your own. Objectives resources included airfields which allowed your team to spawn air vehicles and their destruction would likely remove the related spawn point, and tank factories which likewise would allow to use armoured vehicles until the objective was lost. 64 player mode.

CAPTURE THE FLAG

Capture the Flag was set to return at some point, its mechanics and rule set was the same as in the previous games: steal and return the enemy flag to your home base while protecting your own flag from being captured by the enemy. Unlike previous games however, it was limited to being a 32 player mode (likely for the best)

BATTLEZONE

A round-based 32 player mode that rotates between multiple smaller objective game modes, the best of 5 system. Final Stand was set to be a decider mode in case of a draw. Not much else is known.

TANK SUPERIORITY

Somewhat similar to Tank Superiority from Battlefield 3. 16 player mode, tanks only. Capture and control flags to win and eliminate enemy armoured forces.

GUN MASTER

You know it, you love it, Gun Master (aka Gun Game) was set to make a return in Battlefield V where players would have to progress through a ladder of weapons, get a kill with the final melee weapon to win. Two variants were planned: 16 player Team Gun Master, or Free-For-All version for 12 players.

SEABORNE

A Pacific version of Grand Operations was in development at one point. It was set to feature a new mode called Seaborne, which was likely a variant on Airborne where instead of dropping out of the sky, attacking team would launch a naval assault on the enemy sector.

OPERATION

No specifics are known, likely a reworked version of Grand Operations meant to bring a similar design from Battlefield 1 (battalions, etc.)

FINAL STAND

There are some indicators suggesting that a standalone version of Final Stand was meant to be added into the game. If you’re not familiar with it – Final Stand is a Grand Operation-exclusive mode which can be accessed only if Day 3 ends on a draw. It’s a 64 player single-life Team Deathmatch with shrinking play area similar to Battle Royale.

SQUAD CONQUEST TOURNAMENT

16 player Squad Conquest, with Tournament-style ruleset. Not much else is known.

GRIND VARIANTS

Grind game mode featured modified stock maps. Most notable change came to Twisted Steel which took place on a fully intact bridge which was playable only during this limited-time mode. Smaller tweaks were also made to Narvik, Rotterdam and Devastation.

CASQUETS

A level based on Operation Dryad on Les Casquets island was set to appear as one of the maps designed for the Competetive Mode. Leftovers are still present in the game files, but no images or details about its layout are known.

ROTTERDAM

A third map located in Rotterdam was set to appear in this game, though its official name remains unknown. It was one of the maps designed for Competetive Mode, much like Casquets the leftover files are still present in the game.

PACIFIC OCEAN

Not much is known about this map, aside from some references in the files added during Chapter 6. It was presumably a more naval-focused maps that would feature amphibious tanks, dinghys and airplanes. Possibly set to be added during canned Chapter 7.

HALVØY

A conquest map set around the Lighthouse area of Halvøy was internally playtested at one point. It was scrapped due to technical challenges and shifting focus on more well-known battles of World War II.

PROVENCE

We know of at least two earlier versions of Provence. The first version was available from Chapter 4 till 2020 Summer Update, and it was available only in Squad Conquest, Domination and Team Deathmatch as it was originally meant only for the cancelled Competetive Mode. Only town area was playable, with some different cover placement and sunnier weather.

An image of another version of Provence was leaked before Chapter 4, and it showed presumably the original Competetive version of the map, again with different weather and some different assets such as a structure based on Pont Julien bridge.

LOFOTEN ISLANDS

Much like Provence, Lofoten Islands was originally meant to be a Competetive Mode exclusive map before being adapted into the main game. It is unique as Squad Conquest and Domination take place on the main island, while Team Deathmatch takes place on a different island with its own separate layout. However, a third island was set to be originally playable as evidenced by some of the clips from Chapter 4 trailer, the said island is still present in the final game and is located south of the Team Deathmatch island, albeit inaccessible due to being located far outside of the playable map boundaries.

There are also some references suggesting that Lofoten Islands was set to recieve a similar rework to Provence, bringing support for Conquest and Breakthrough before being shelved indefinitely.

MERCURY

Some clips from the trailer for Mercury map reveal that an earlier version of the map featured two extra flags in Conquest, seemingly located around Airfield and Fort Ruins areas which are accessible only in Breakthrough in the final release. They was likely cut to improve flow of the map and make it less linear.

NARVIK

Some early renders of Narvik show a variant of the map with a very different, afternoon lighting which never made it into the final game.

HAMADA

Similar to Narvik, some early renders show Hamada with a very different, more pleasant afternoon lighting.

SICILY

There are a number of indicators suggesting that some maps set in Italy were either in active development, or at least considered at one point. One situation involved a user who spotted a Battlefield V developer playing on a map called “Sicily”, though it was never confirmed if it was a legitimate leak. Studying the art book for the game reveals some concept art for locations set in Italy, it is possible that such maps were planned for later chapters focused on return to Europe and Western Front.

FLAK TOWERS

Some concept art for the game shows locations based around the Flakturm aka Flak towers, which were prominent in Germany later during the war. It is possible that map based around such location was planned for final chapters of the game set during the Fall of Germany.

POINTE DU HOC

Another concept art for the game shows a U.S. marine climbing a cliffside, which likely suggests a location based on Pointe du Hoc. It was presumably to be a part of the cancelled chapter set during the Normandy campaign.

GRAVEYARD

Not much is known about this level aside from the leftover files referring to mp_graveyard

UNDERWORLD

Not much is known about this level aside from the leftover files referring to mp_underworld

GRILLE

Grille was a German self-propelled artillery vehicle cut from the final roster of usable armour in the game. The in-game models were complete, though first person entry/exit animations were left unfinished, as was most of the scripting. Destroyed models of Grille can still be found on maps such as Arras, albeit only as props.

BISHOP

Bishop was the second cut self-propelled artillery vehicle, acting as the British counterpart to Grille. Similarly, while the model was mostly finished, animations were left unpolished and scripting was incomplete. Destroyed Bishops can still be found as props on few maps in the game.

HUMMEL

The third of self-propelled artillery vehicles to be cut from the game. The case is similar as with Grille and Bishop, it was largely done though lacked scripting and finished animation sets.

CHURCHILL AVRE

The final instance of the cut self-propelled artillery vehicles category. British counterpart to Hummel, while it shared the fate with the other self-propelled artilleries, it was briefly seen in action during the infamous Reveal Trailer for Battlefield V.

Sd. Kfz 251 ARTILLERY

Version of Half-track equipped with artillery. It exists as an enemy NPC vehicle in War Stories and Combined Arms, but cannot be entered or used by the player. This version of the Half-Track never made it into the multiplayer, though it is possible it was planned as a Squad Reinforcement vehicle.

JU52

After a lot of nagging from the community over the historical inaccuracies present in Grand Operations, Ju52 was planned to be added into the game for that mode as part of Airborne to accommodate the German team on the attacking side. Sadly it never made it into the proper multiplayer, although it was present in Firestorm as deploy plane at the start of the round.

T19 HOTWIZER

Some in-game files feature old references hinting that M19 Hotwizer was planned to appear in the game at some stage

M16 MGMC

Some in-game files feature old references hinting that M16 MGMC was planned to appear in the game at some stage

MOTORCYCLE

One of the concept arts for the game features a soldier driving a motorcycle resembling BMW R75 (albeit without a sidecar), which was a common vehicle used by Wehrmacht in WWII. Nothing else is known about potential plans to bring motorcycles into the game aside from this art.

LANCHESTER

Lanchester was supposed to appear as a sub-machine gun for the Medic class. It performed similarly to MP28, and was likely meant to be added in the later chapters as it was mostly done and only lacked an updated specialization tree.

STERLING / PATCHETT

Sterling was supposed to appear as a sub-machine gun for the Medic class. It performed similarly to Sten, and was likely meant to be added in the later chapters as it was mostly done and only lacked an updated specialization tree.

M1917 ENFIELD

M1917 Enfield was set to return as a Bolt-Action Rifle for the Recon class. It was mostly finished aside from the updated specialization tree.

LAD

LAD light machine gun was set to appear as part of the competetive mode, and likely later as part of the Eastern Front. It was fully functional and finished, aside from the lack of updated multiplayer specializations.

PANZERSHRECK

Panzershreck was set to appear in multiplayer as a gadget for Assault. It was almost completely done, missing only a few details. It likely would have acted as a German counterpart to M1 Bazooka.

Maschinenpistole M1912/P16

M1912/P16 was set to return as part of the cut Machine Pistols category. It was largely the same as in Battlefield 1 and most of its scripting was finished, including an inspect animation for multiplayer.

MP41

One of the promotional cosmetic images early during the game’s life cycle has notably featured a german soldier holding what appeared to be a MP41 sub-machine gun with potential silencer attachment. While in-game files do not refer directly to potential inclusion of MP41, there are some references to a suppressed MP40 variant which could have taken an appearance of MP41 before being cut alongside other silenced weapons.

MODEL 37 STAKEOUT

In-game files include an icon suggesting that a stakeout variant of Model 37 was planned at one point.

ASTRA 903

References and UI icons for Astra 903 are present in the files, suggesting it was set to appear as a Machine Pistol.

MODEL 27 SNUB

In-game files include an icon for a variant of Model 27 revolver in a snub configuration.

REVERSE REVOLVER

Reverse Revolver is a fully functional weapon which was never released, likely meant to be a part of some sort of easter egg due to its absurdity and sillyness. As you can imagine, pulling the trigger killed its user instantly.

C96 CARBINE

Some in-game files feature references aswell as UI icons suggesting that C96 Carbine was set to return from Battlefield 1, most likely as a Semi-Auto Carbine for Recon class. It is however worth noting that it could be a simple leftover, considering that M1917 Trench Carbine version is already present in the game.

FROMMER STOP AUTO

Some in-game files feature references suggesting that Frommer Stop Auto might have been planned to return as a Machine Pistol in Battlefield V, though it is possible for it to be merely a leftover from BF1.

UNRELEASED WEAPON CLASSES

With Archetype system being replaced by simplified Combat Roles, a few weapon classes were cut entirely from the game. As evidenced above, one such class were Machine Pistols which were likely supposed to be a part of the Medic class due to its focus on CQB combat in Battlefield V. Another cut class of weapons were Suppressed Sub-Machine Guns which interestingly were meant to be a part of one of the Recon archetypes, transforming it into a more aggressive commando-type class. While most of these weapon variants were cut, some of them can still be found in singleplayer War Stories, such as Suppressed Sten, Suppressed KP/-41 Suomi and even a Suppressed Kar98k.

UNRELEASED MELEE WEAPONS

A number of melee weapons which were never officially released are either present in the files, or at least have corresponding leftover UI icons. Those include:
Dadao
Fire Poke
Folding Shovel
Russian Combat Knife
M2 Paratrooper Switchblade
Trench Knife
Sudanese Knife
Mountain Axe
Tanto
French Hunting Knife
French Nail
Scythe

UNRELEASED GADGETS

A number of gadgets were in various stages of development and never made it into the game. Some of them were planned for the regular multiplayer, while some were meant to be exclusive to the cancelled 5v5 competetive mode. These include:

Bangalore Torpedo – Likely a gadget for Support class

Type 89 Knee Mortar – Likely a gadget for Support class, with lesser range than mortar from previous games

Garotte – Likely a gadget for Recon class, meant as a melee takedown that would reveal nearby enemies on a minimap in similar way to how Tasers worked in Battlefield Hardline

Armor Crate – Likely a gadget for Support class, as multiplayer was meant to feature armor system similar to Firestorm at one point

Deployable Barbed Wire – Self-explainatory, likely meant for Support to allow for more dynamic fortification system

TN 17 Radio Jammer – Meant for the competetive mode

 Goliath Mine – Meant for the competetive mode

 Throwing Axe – A throwable, works in the similar way to Throwing Knife. Possibly an alternative to this gadget meant for the USSR faction, in a similar way to how Kunai replaces the blade when carried by a Japanese soldier.

MORTARS

Proper deployable mortars were planned to be featured at one point as a purchasable reinforcement, likely to limit the explosive spam caused by mortars in previous games.

UNRELEASED WEAPON COSMETICS

Many weapon paint jobs were left unreleased, this includes some old paint jobs which were meant to be rewarded for pre-ordering and special editions for the game. You can see them as part of the video showcase down below.

UNRELEASED SOLDIER COSMETICS

Many soldier customization elements were left unreleased, this includes cosmetic items which are present in the War Stories and were seen during pre-release promos. You can see some of them in the showcase down below.

UNRELEASED VEHICLE COSMETICS

Likewise, many vehicles also feature a number of unreleased skins and paint jobs.

SIDEARM SKINS

Secondary weapons in multiplayer were originally meant to feature customizable paint jobs, as all of them have the same basic set of paints that all primary launch weapons have. It is unknown as to why this was not implemented into the final version of the game.

FIRESTORM SKINS

In-game files include definition files referencing customization options for Firestorm-exclusive vehicles, suggesting that Battlefield V’s Battle Royale was originally going to feature more in-depth customization. Notice inclusion of the “Sulis” paint job, possibly an award for completing the cancelled EE quest.

ARCHETYPES

Class Archetypes was a sub-class system and a precursor to Combat Roles present in the final version of the game. They were a bit more complex and offered more significant changes to the way certain classes operated, as an example one of the Recon archetypes was meant to allow to carry suppressed sub-machine guns instead of rifles. Archetypes also had different statistics for each role such as Agility, Health Regeneration, Blast Reduction and Suppression Sensitivity.

BUDDY DRAG

Buddy Drag was one of the features briefly mentioned during the reveal of Battlefield V which was eventually scrapped. It was meant to allow Medic class to pick up and drag bodies of downed teammates to safety. It was cut due to technical difficulties and likelihood of low usage by the players, as it seemed more efficient to simply revive teammates on the spot.

CRASH LANDING

As showcased in the Reveal trailer and confirmed by the developers early on, Crash Landing was set to be a feature while piloting air vehicles. It was supposed to be a way for plane pilots to give up their damaged vehicle in exchange for a way to live on as infantry. It was presumably unfinished due to technical difficulties.

TOWABLE RESOURCES

While the towable equipment in the final version of Battlefield V includes only artillery weapons, towable trailers were set to be featured and appeared to be fully functional in the game files. These were meant to allow players to deploy and move assets such as health stations, ammo stations, repair stations and fuel tanks (likely a Firestorm exclusive). The reason for why these were never fully released to the public is unknown, though we can speculate it was done for the sake of balance.

CUT FACTIONS

There are some references inside of the game files which may suggest that Battlefield V was originally set to have more variety of factions, such as Italians and Free French Army. This however is only an assumption as the said references could be a leftover from Battlefield 1. Soviet Army was also planned to appear as a faction during the later stage of live service.

BATTLEPACKS

Some leftover images and icons in the game suggest that Battlepacks were originally meant to be featured in Battlefield V, although not much else is known about how they were supposed to work. They were likely scrapped due to inclusion of the Armoury and in-game store.

FIRESTORM ELEMENTS

Firestorm Battle Royale mode was set to receive a number of features which never made it into the final game due to mode being abandoned even before the cancellation of the live service. One such feature was Respawn Baloons which were meant to be a capturable objectives allowing players to bring dead squad mates back into the fray. More weapons were also meant to be added into the mode, as evidenced by the addition of the new Legendary rarity which ended up getting only assigned to Boys AT.

Firestorm was also meant to feature a giant easter egg quest similar to Phantom Program and Mastermind from the previous games, and it was related to the Sulis machines which can be found in various places around the map. The easter egg was never completed due to mode being discontinued.

RIBBONS

Ribbon awards were present in the game at launch and worked in a similar way to previous games. They were later completely removed from the game for technical reasons and never made it back.

DOWNED TIMER

On-screen HUD used to show a timer for downed squad mates, this feature was later removed for unknown reasons.

UNRELEASED END OF THE ROUND THEME

One of the few unreleased tracks which is presumably some form of End of the Round meant for the later chapters of the game. Credit goes to Westie who caught this track during a recording session he was present for.

ROTTERDAM BETA END OF THE ROUND THEME

The Open Beta version of Rotterdam featured a different and unique End of the Round music, which was a modified and rearranged version of the EOR from Battlefield 1’s apocalypse. While not featured in multiplayer in the final version of the game, it has been later reused for Combined Arms.

UNRELEASED COMPETETIVE MODE TRACKS

Competetive Mode was set to feature its own soundtrack separate from rest of the game. End of the Round and Loading / Matchmaking themes can still be found in the files.

I hope you found this article interesting! I was planning to make a video on this topic but couldn’t find time to pull it off properly, so if you want to make one I do encourage it, just make sure to give appropriate credit to those involved in creating this article (Temporyal, Jack of Black Phoenix, R4noo7076 and Battlefield Modding Discord)

Now get back to the frontline, soldier!