Well, the existence of a new cops-vs-robbers Battlefield game got leaked yesterday. Today, an in-depth trailer showing gameplay, plot and multiplayer details for Battlefield: Hardline has surfaced.


EA later confirmed the existence of Hardline by unveiling an official website late yesterday but this trailer—first spotted on NeoGAF —looks like it runs down many of the game's core features way ahead of the June 9th reveal. [Update: the first YouTube video has been pulled. We've replaced it with another upload below.]

The name of at least one multiplayer mode that showed up in yesterday's reports also shows up in this teaser, along with the revelation that Hardline's single-player will be structured episodically like a TV show. The characters and action are a bit reminiscent of The Shield television series.


Also confirmed is a lead development role by EA's Visceral studio and not the DICE division that's traditionally handled Battlefield games. Revamped AI and a multipath structure for single-player episodes get touted in the trailer, perhaps as a sign that EA's trying to address player criticism of previous BF games in Hardline.

Previous reports had pegged Ghost Games—the DICE spin-off studio that made last year's Need for Speed Rivals—as helping with Hardline's development. The driving sequences shown here look like they might be the studio's handiwork.


The game will take place in American cities and showcase multiple Leveloution events in the various backdrops, a decision that iterates on the popular environmental destruction feature from Battlefield 4.



Along with a suite of real-world and made-up weapons, Hardline will also have players using gadgets like a police scanner. Similar to, say, the Detective Vision mode in recent Batman games, the police scanner reveals clues and plot points in the game's single-player.


Ziplines and grappling hooks will be able to be used throughout the multiplayer maps at any time, which should open up strategic possibilities in the game's vertical spaces.


The Hardline video also teases a wide variety of vehicles, including combat trucks, boats and muscle cars. Overall, Hardline looks like a big departure from Battlefield's soldier-centric formula. Judging by the 7-minute video that's slid out onto the internet, the next game in EA's main FPS franchise is looking to ramp up its storytelling ambitions, expand player mobility and deepen the combat experience.