Battlefield 4 class tweaks, unique Field Upgrades, 25 specialisations revealed

**Bald Bouncer** · 17th August 2013

DICE has dropped a big old chunk of Battlefield 4 intel, focusing on the game's multiplayer classes, new one-match-only Field Upgrades and specialisations. Suffice to say, the classes are more or less as you remember them, but have been tweaked to be "more versatile and more highly specialized within their fields". Engineers get a wider variety of anti-vehicle weapons, for instance, and there's more nuance in terms of vehicle disabling and guided projectiles, too. You can look forward to "everything from high damage weapons that may be more challenging to use (like RPG-7V2) to fire-and-forget smart weapons with low damage (like the MBT LAW), and the fan favorite Wire Guided Engineer Missile (the FGM-172 SRAW) that you might recognize from Battlefield 2".

Support players are a tad less surplus to requirements, thanks to a nifty XM25 launcher, a fancy new mortar and the ability to equip carbines and DMRs alongside LMGs. You'll still get C4 and Claymores, too, making this class as demolition-happy as the Engineer in the right circumstances.

Recon "has gotten a much needed boost to mobility", and there are "revamped sniping mechanics with rebalanced Sniper rifles, the ability to zero your sights (set an aiming distance), and [equip] different optics and accessories". As regards actual, you know, reconnaissance, the MAV, T-UGS, and Radio Beacon gadgets return from Battlefield 3.

Assault, finally, now sports 40mm Flash Bang rounds for speedy room clearance, plus a portable First Aid Pack that heals a single trooper over time, meaning you'll be able to patch people up in the fray without slowing down. There are still defibs and standard med kits, of course.

Each class has access to four Field Upgrade careers - these are earned in the course of a match by performing squad actions such as resupplies, repairs, healing and following orders. The bar resets when you start a new match. Two upgrade career paths are generic - Offense and Defense - and two are class-specific, and each offers four tiers of specialisations (read: stat boosts).

The first Offense boost is SPRINT, followed by AMMO, MORE GRENADES and REDUCED FALL (as in, damage), all hopefully self-explanatory. Defense runs through ARMOR (protection from chest shots), COVER (less susceptible to suppression), FLAK (less explosive damage), and QUICK REGEN. As regards class-specific careers, Assault players get access to Combat Medic and Grenadier, while Engineers nab either Mechanic or Anti-Tank.

"While the path you choose will allow for different types of roles on the Battlefield, you're never stuck with your first choice for the rest of the round," notes the post. "Whenever you wish, you can simple reselect. Doing this will never set you back in your current level of progress, so if you're currently at level three out of four, you will keep that level and have it applied even if you change kit and/or upgrade path from the customization screen.

"Should you choose to leave a squad without entering a new squad, your current progress will be saved. So if you later in the same round join a new squad, you won't have to start from scratch."

There are over 25 specialisations to unlock in Battlefield 4, via Field Upgrades, up from seven in Battlefield 3. I've copy-pasted the list below, for your instruction and possible enjoyment. Check out the full blog post for more.

SPRINT Increases maximum sprint speed
AMMO Increases maximum inventory of bullets
C4 EXPLOSIVES Increases maximum inventory of C4 explosives
COVER Decreases amount of incoming suppression
SUPPRESSION Increases the amount of outgoing suppression
FLAK Decreases explosion damage
GRENADES Increases maximum inventory of hand grenades
(NEW) ROCKETS Increases maximum inventory of AT (anti-tank) and AA (anti-air) ammo
(NEW) MINES Increases maximum inventory of AT Mines or M2 SLAM
(NEW) STEALTH Player is undetected by Motion Sensors except when sprinting
(NEW) HOLD BREATH Increases time you can Steady your scope
(NEW) FAST REPAIR Increases speed and sabotage of Repairs
(NEW) DEFIB UPGRADE Increases charge up speed of the defibrillators
(NEW) 40mm GRENADES Increases maximum inventory of 40mm grenades
(NEW) ADVANCED SPOT Increases time your targets are Spotted
(NEW) MEDKITS UPGRADE Increases maximum deployed medic bags and packs
(NEW) MOTION SENSORS UPGRADE Increases the maximum inventory of Motion Sensors. Increases the range of T-UGS and MAV
(NEW) MORE DEPLOYED EXPLOSIVES Increases maximum deployed Explosives
(NEW) AMMO BAG UPGRADE Increases maximum deployed ammo boxes and packs
(NEW) ARMOR Reduces incoming damage to the chest
(NEW) QUICK UNSPOT Reduces time you are spotted
(NEW) MEDICAL UNIT Occupied vehicles will slowly heal nearby soldiers
(NEW) SUPPLY UNIT Occupied vehicles will slowly resupply nearby soldiers
(NEW) REPAIR UNIT Occupied vehicles will slowly repair nearby vehicles
(NEW) REDUCED FALL Increases height you can fall without damage
(NEW) QUICK REGEN Decreases time before out of combat heal
(NEW) MP-APS UPGRADE Longer uptime on MP APS
(NEW) INDIRECT FIRE UPGRADE Increases maximum M224 ammo. Increases maximum XM25 magazines
(NEW) CLAYMORES Increases the maxium inventory of claymores