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Battlefield Introduces Premium Friends Program
Developer DICE is introducing a new program to unite the online Battlefield community. Premium Friends looks to bring together players who have access to Battlefield 1's DLC maps with those who are unwilling or unable to shell out extra cash after their initial game purchase.
When a Battlefield 1 Premium Pass holder joins a party, the whole group of players becomes "Premium Enabled," allowing the whole team access to the bonus maps. Only the Premium Pass owners will be able to earn XP on the extra maps, but if a player decides to upgrade their Battlefield experience, then they'll be retroactively rewarded with all the XP they earned as a Premium Friend.
DICE will be testing out Premium Friends during the upcoming Battlefest event, which begins on March 30, with a full release to follow sometime thereafter. For more on Battlefield 1, check out GI's review, details on the recently-released Winter Update, and the trailer for the They Shall Not Pass expansion.
[Source: Battlefield]
Our Take
There are two schools of thought regarding post-launch content for online multiplayer games: some games charge for maps, modes, weapons, and everything in between, and some keep premium maps off limits, so that all players can enjoy the game together, regardless of their financial investment in add-on content.The Premium Friends program feels like a fair middle ground between the two factions, especially for players who are in it for the match-to-match gameplay, and not the rat race grind to reach the level cap.
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