Less is more. In Battlefield™ V, you’ll experience new tactical options and unique, varied situations where ammo and health can be obtained and shared in different ways.



We call this system Attrition. We introduced Attrition to Battlefield V to make the game deeper, more strategic, and more satisfying for players who work together as a team. Attrition is built on a series of small changes that add up to have a big impact. Like many changes, it takes some getting used to.



In this article, we’ll share why we created Attrition, how we think it makes the game better, and tips from the game developers to use it to turn the battlefield to your advantage.



How Does Attrition Change Battlefield?

We’ve designed this system of Attrition to give squad play and team work even more meaning – but that’s not all. Scarcity of bullets and medical supplies also makes the game more dynamic, encourages you to think on your feet, assess risks, and make choices in whatever situation you’re in.



After each encounter in previous Battlefield™ games, you were always quickly back at status quo with restored health and ammo. Now, situations will be special after each encounter. You may not have full health or ammo, so you need to act accordingly. Simply rushing for the next flag may not be enough – you need to change your tactic. Say you’re down to your last mag, should you play it safe or engage those two enemies you have a clear shot on?



More Depth – Not Higher Difficulty

Does the Attrition system make Battlefield V harder than earlier games? No – but it makes it deeper. Attrition gives more agency to you, letting you manage health and ammo through short-term and long-term methods. You can still regenerate up to max health, but you need an item and to press a button to do it. Your choice of Class and Combat Role can also affect Attrition; deploy as the Assault’s Light Infantry Combat Role, for instance, and you’ll regenerate a higher amount of health than other Combat Roles. Self-healing used to be unconscious; now, it will be in your mind more. It’s a matter of learning the system – which everyone can do.



Health and the Medic

Limited health regeneration is not something unheard of in the genre. But you need to be more mindful and tactical with your choices around health and ammo. You’ll find that there are more actions to be taken beyond just spawn-run-shoot-die.



Health management is a big part of Attrition. You’re now somewhat in charge of your own health, thanks to the Medical Pouch which will get you back to full health. Though you might guess otherwise, this emphasizes team play. Medics are not just there to heal you, but also to supply you with Medical Pouches. This provides more weight and purpose to the Class.



Learn more about the Medic Class and its Combat Roles



We’re improving in-game communication tools to make sure it’s clear when people are low on ammo and health, and when they don’t have a Health Pouch. This will be achieved through icons and the CommoRose, your in-game way of making your soldier shout info to other players. In the Open Beta, Medics couldn’t see if a player needed a Health Pouch, but we’ve already started addressing this.

