Update 7/19: The second week of the BF4 Battlefest Battleshots contest has been announced. To enter, please post the link to your image on the new Battlefest Battleshots – Week 2 announcement. Entries posted on the week 1 article below will not be accepted.

We’re excited to kick off the daily Battlefest Battleshots contest.

Every day during Battlefest (July 12 – Aug 12), fans will be able to submit their own screenshots from Battlefield 4 for a chance to win a Battleshot prize package including an AMD graphics card, a $50 gift code to the DICE online store, and a code to redeem Battlefield 4 Premium membership on your platform of choice.

To enter, just reply on the Battlefield blog announcement in the comments (do not reply on this Battlelog article as your entry will not be accepted; reply here) with a link to your screenshot image. Remember, your image must follow the theme of the day. Entries are only valid if they are submitted during eligible hours (8:00 AM PT to 11:59 PM PT each day – for local time zones, check here). Please read through all official contest rules here to make sure your Battleshot is eligible.

Check back on the Battlefield Blog every week for new daily themes as they are announced. Here are the themes for week one:

DAILY BATTLESHOTS THEME – WEEK 1

 

- Saturday, July 12 – EXPLOSIONS
- Sunday, July 13 – HELICOPTERS
- Monday, July 14 – VISTAS
- Tuesday, July 15 – INFANTRY
- Wednesday, July 16 – TEAM PLAY
- Thursday, July 17 – NAVAL
- Friday, July 18 – PARACHUTES

We are looking forward to seeing your best Battleshots and giving out some great prizes. We’ll see you on the Battlefield!

THIS OFFER IS BEING ISSUED TO YOU FOR PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A CREDIT, CHARGE, DEBIT OR GIFT CARD. BATTLEFEST IS FROM  JULY 12, 2014, THROUGH  AUGUST 13 , 2014 (“PROMOTION PERIOD”). REQUIRES BATTLEFIELD 4 (“PRODUCT”) ON APPLICABLE PLATFORM AND INTERNET CONNECTION TO ACCESS IN-GAME CONTENT. PC VERSION OF PRODUCT ALSO REQUIRES ORIGIN ACCOUNT, ACCEPTANCE OF THE ORIGIN END USER AGREEMENT AND INSTALLATION OF THE ORIGIN CLIENT SOFTWARE (WWW.ORIGIN.COM/ABOUT). YOU MUST BE 13+ TO REGISTER.  BATTLEPACK CODES EXPIRE SEPTEMBER 13, 2014.  A GOLD BATTLEPACK WILL BE AWARDED EVERY TUESDAY FOLLOWING THE END OF EACH COMMUNITY MISSION FROM 4AM PDT TO 3:59AM PDT THE NEXT DAY AND IS AUTOMATICALLY ENTITLED WHEN YOU LOG INTO PRODUCT DURING THAT DAILY TIME PERIOD.  DOUBLE XP IS AUTOMATICALLY ENTITLED FROM JULY 12, 2014 AT 2AM PDT THROUGH JULY 14, 2014 AT 2AM PDT AMD FRP, AUGUST 9, 2014 AT 2AM PDT THROUGH AUGUST 11, 2014 AT 2AM PDT.  THE CAMO IS AUTOMATICALLY ENTITLED EACH FRIDAY OF THE PROMOTION PERIOD STARTING JULY 18, 2014 AT 5AM PDT.  EA ONLINE PRIVACY AND COOKIE POLICY AND TERMS OF SERVICE ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.EA.COM. SEE APPLICABLE END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT AND DISCLOSURES ON WWW.EA.COM/1/PRODUCT-EULAS. VALID WHEREVER BATTLEFIELD 4 IS OFFERED. CODE MAY NOT BE SUBSTITUTED, EXCHANGED, SOLD OR REDEEMED FOR CASH OR OTHER GOODS OR SERVICES. MAY NOT BE COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER OFFER, GIFT CARD, REBATE OR DISCOUNT COUPON. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED, TAXED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW.

UPDATE 8/8: Above you will see the events scheduled during the last week of Battlefest. Thank you to everyone who participated. See you on the Battlefield!

As we head into the thick of summer, we wanted to do something for our fans and are kicking off a special event called Battlefest.  This is a festival built for gamers, specifically Battlefield 4, filled with weekly rewards, contests and in-game content.  It’s a fun way to give back to our community and say thanks, while doing some cool things in the game.  Not to mention, there will be tons of prizes, including graphics cards and three gaming PCs, provided by AMD.

Battlefest is just a small token of our appreciation and commitment to Battlefield 4.  In addition to this, we have DICE teams in Stockholm and LA continually working on improving the gameplay experience, adding new initiatives like the CTE environment, and also developing the next two expansions packs, with Battlefield 4 Dragon’s Teeth releasing next week for Battlefield 4 Premium members.

To get Battlefest started, we’re giving everyone a weekend of double XP from July 12-13, so if you need to level up your game, now is a good time to start or get back into the game.  The 12^th also marks the first day of our daily contest (called Battleshots), where we’re asking you to send us a screenshot in Battlefield 4 based on a different theme requirement.  Each daily winning entry will receive an AMD graphics card, $50 gift card to the DICE Store, and a Battlefield 4 Premium membership on their platform of choice.  We’re excited to see what you send in and will be altering the screenshot theme request daily until August 13 for more chances to win.  Official announcement to come; official rules can be found here.

Beyond the daily Battleshots contest, check out these other initiatives we’ll be doing during Battlefest.

- Free Camo Unlocks
Each week we will be releasing a free camo in-game for all players.  This will give you more ways to standout on the battlefield.

- Double XP
As noted above, we’re kicking Battlefest off with a double XP weekend and we’re definitely going to end with one too for all players to reap the benefits.

- Community Missions
Each week we will be hosting a global community challenge to reach a specific goal in-game.  If you reach the goal, everyone who logs in will receive a free gold Battlepack the following week.  The first mission starts on July 15, 2014, where you will have to collectively reach 15 million revives across all platforms, with the mission ending on the eve of July 20, 2014.

- Stunt Video Competition
This a month long contest where we are asking you to send us your best stunt video that can only be done in Battlefield 4. Once we receive the submissions, the DICE team will pick the top 12 and then you, the fans, will vote on the top three winners to win a massive prize.  Official announcement to come; official rules can be found here.

Featured Prize Sponsor of the Week

Learn how to win an XFX AMD Radeon R9 270X graphics card by participating in this week’s Battlefest Battleshots contest here.

And there it is, a month filled with fun activities and prizes to be given that we hope you’ll enjoy.  But that’s not all, we have more surprises in store that we’re excited to share in the next couple weeks.  Be sure to keep your eyes peeled.  Happy Summer Gaming!

* THIS OFFER IS BEING ISSUED TO YOU FOR PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A CREDIT, CHARGE, DEBIT OR GIFT CARD. BATTLEFEST IS FROM JULY 12, 2014, THROUGH  AUGUST 13 , 2014 (“PROMOTION PERIOD”). REQUIRES BATTLEFIELD 4 (“PRODUCT”) ON APPLICABLE PLATFORM AND INTERNET CONNECTION TO ACCESS IN-GAME CONTENT. PC VERSION OF PRODUCT ALSO REQUIRES ORIGIN ACCOUNT, ACCEPTANCE OF THE ORIGIN END USER AGREEMENT AND INSTALLATION OF THE ORIGIN CLIENT SOFTWARE (WWW.ORIGIN.COM/ABOUT). YOU MUST BE 13+ TO REGISTER.  BATTLEPACK CODES EXPIRE SEPTEMBER 13, 2014.  A GOLD BATTLEPACK WILL BE AWARDED EVERY TUESDAY FOLLOWING THE END OF EACH COMMUNITY MISSION FROM 4AM PDT TO 3:59AM PDT THE NEXT DAY AND IS AUTOMATICALLY ENTITLED WHEN YOU LOG INTO PRODUCT DURING THAT DAILY TIME PERIOD.  DOUBLE XP IS AUTOMATICALLY ENTITLED FROM JULY 12, 2014 AT 2AM PDT THROUGH JULY 14, 2014 AT 2AM PDT AND FROM, AUGUST 9, 2014 AT 2AM PDT THROUGH AUGUST 11, 2014 AT 2AM PDT.  THE CAMO IS AUTOMATICALLY ENTITLED EACH FRIDAY OF THE PROMOTION PERIOD STARTING JULY 18, 2014 AT 5AM PDT.  EA ONLINE PRIVACY AND COOKIE POLICY AND TERMS OF SERVICE ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.EA.COM. SEE APPLICABLE END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT AND DISCLOSURES ON WWW.EA.COM/1/PRODUCT-EULAS. VALID WHEREVER BATTLEFIELD 4 IS OFFERED. CODE MAY NOT BE SUBSTITUTED, EXCHANGED, SOLD OR REDEEMED FOR CASH OR OTHER GOODS OR SERVICES. MAY NOT BE COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER OFFER, GIFT CARD, REBATE OR DISCOUNT COUPON. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED, TAXED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW.

UPDATE 7/9: The Patch Notes have been updated. Apologies on the confusion with several line items. Please refer to your respective platform notes below.

We are proud to announce that we’ve released a patch update for PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 today. Xbox One will receive the update tomorrow, July 9^th.

The patch introduces several bug fixes for the Commander App and also expands functionality on Xbox One to include VOIP (a feature already available for PC & PS4), allowing Commanders to communicate with teammates with their voice. Now you can bark out orders with authority!

Additionally, you will find various fixes in regards to general gameplay, graphics, modes, server support, user interface, vehicles and weapons.

Please refer to your respective platform patch notes:

- PC
- Xbox One
- Xbox 360
- PlayStation 4
- PlayStation 3

As always, we want to know how these updates are performing and how we can improve your game experience further. If you haven’t done so already, jump into the Battlefield 4 forums and sound off with your feedback.

Get ready to take the battle to Asian Pacific’s dense, urban landscape with Battlefield 4 Dragon’s Teeth, the fourth expansion pack to Battlefield 4. Coming July 15^th to Battlefield 4 Premium members, Dragon’s Teeth drops players into four all-new maps that introduce unique environments and gameplay ranging from the bustling alleyways of Pearl Market to the floating restaurant in the middle of a lake in Sunken Dragon.

Dragon’s Teeth sees five new weapons making their Battlefield debut in addition to a new unlockable gadget, the Ballistic shield. Dragon’s Teeth also introduces a new game mode, Chain Link, a twist on the fan-favorite Conquest mode that sees squads battle to link capture points in order to achieve victory. Fans will also get ten new assignments with unique unlocks and a new Battle pickup in the R.A.W.R., a remote controlled ground vehicle armed to the teeth.

All this plus four new maps including:

- Lumphini Garden: Cruise with fast-moving PWC’s on the canals in the pristine park to get the upper hand.

- Pearl Market: Wage wars within the bustling alleyways and upon the rooftops of the marketplace.

- Propaganda: Fight among massive despotic monuments in the grey concrete battleground.

- Sunken Dragon: Battle between modern high rises as you wreak havoc in a floating restaurant or drain the lake opening up for a frontal vehicle assault.

Get a head start playing Battlefield 4 Dragon’s Teeth early by becoming a Battlefield 4 Premium member. Battlefield 4 Dragon’s Teeth will be available to all non-Premium members starting on July 29^th.

We released the Battlefield 4 Community Test Environment (CTE) in early May, and have since then made good progress on improving the game together with our fans. In this blog post, we wanted to share some of the things that we’ve been able to achieve thanks to you.

We’ve tested tons of things in the CTE, ranging from general gameplay tweaks to bug fixes. Many hours have been spent by the team watching live streamed gameplay, analyzing telemetry data, and of course, interacting with the players on the forums. It’s been a tremendous help to the team and we thank all those participating.

The CTE is open to all Battlefield 4 Premium members. If you still haven’t had a chance to test it out yet, then please visit the following link to sign up: http://cte.battlelog.com/bf4/

Netcode Improvements

Making improvements to the “Netcode” in Battlefield 4 has been a top priority for us. Some of the items we’ve been specifically looking at is how to decrease the feeling of getting killed when behind cover and getting killed without initially seeing a damage indicator. The improvements we did were released in June, and we’re looking at testing out additional fixes during the coming months.

Core Gameplay
The core gameplay initiative has started, and in the first phase, we’re looking at making improvements and fixes related to the new Dragon’s Teeth expansion pack. One of the main items that we wanted to test was the all-new Ballistics Shield, and based on the feedback that we received we made the following changes that’ll make it for the release of Dragon’s Teeth:

• Shield bash damage has been tweaked, it is no longer possible to one-hit kill enemies. The Ballistics shield now better matches with the initial design intent.
• Single tank AP-rounds now kill those carrying the Ballistics Shield, something that previously wasn’t possible.

Rush Tweaks

If you’re a fan of Rush, you’ll want to jump into the CTE and try out the new changes we’re currently testing on the Siege of Shanghai, Zavod 311 and Operation Locker to start. The main focus of these changes has been to increase the balance and flow of the Rush round. Often, this means making it easier for the attackers to tackle certain MCOMs. Some general tweaks have also been made, such as:

• Commander has been removed by default in Rush.
• Radar sweep has been reduced around attackers base.
• Many per map specific changes, MCOM placement and cover passes.

Apart from these bigger initiatives, here are some of the areas of improvements that we will be looking at in the future:

• General Weapon tweaks/balance.
• Weapon Suppression tuning.
• 3P Head-flinch dampening.
• Visual recoil ADS tuning.
• Vehicle tuning/balance.
• Game modes: Rush, Continued tweaks to Obliteration Competitive and Conquest small.
• HUD improvements and bug fixes.

So, for those of you that have joined the CTE, thanks for the continued support in making Battlefield 4 even more fun!  We look forward to seeing you soon on the battlefield.

David Sirland
Battlefield 4 Associate Producer