These two weapons are the Ribeyrolles 1918, an assault rifle for the Assault class, and a new shotgun for the Support class called the M1897. Everyone that logs into Battlefield 5 by January 3 will receive these weapons for free, and they can be located in a player’s Armory.
The Ribeyrolles 1918 is a gun that was previously featured in Battlefield 1. This new assault rifle is extremely accurate and features the longest range in the weapon class. However, it does so at the expense of its damage output.
The M1897 also made an appearance in Battlefield 1, though it was called the M97 Trench Gun in that entry. As stated by DICE, this weapon feels like “a true pump-action shotgun with a good one-hit kill range.”
While some players are certain to be happy to add a couple of new weapons to their arsenals, others are voicing dissatisfaction that DICE is focusing on adding Battlefield 1 weapons to the title rather than introducing new guns. “The number of weapons being copy-pasted from Battlefield 1 is so pathetic,” a user on Reddit writes.
Furthermore, some fans are frustrated that, once again, Medics are being skipped over with these new weapons. While DICE has recently buffed SMGs in an attempt to improve the Medic class, a portion of the community suggests that more is needed.
Specifically, players indicate that an SMG with stats like the Ribeyrolles 1918 (long range but with low damage), could be a step in the right direction for Medics. The fact that the weapon is instead being implemented as another Assault Rifle is not sitting well for some.
Despite these concerns, it is difficult to be too disgruntled about free content. Following the recent controversy surrounding changes to Battlefield 5’s Time to Kill values, new weapons feel like a reasonable approach to getting veteran players back in game and doing battle.
Further discussion of the addition of these weapons can be found on Reddit.
