EA Announces New PC Only Hardcore Battlefield Play4Free

We already know about Battlefield Heroes, EA’s free to play Battlefield game. EA has announced that is is extending that business model with a new hardcore free to play Battlefield PC title dubbed Battlefield Play4Free.

Battlefield Play4Free is being developed by DICE. EA says the Battlefield Play4Free will feature the vehicles, sandbox environments and 32-player multiplayer that are “signature” for Battlefield, and particularly highlights its aim to offer “premium” quality in the free category. The publisher describes the title as “positioned to compete with top console titles” when it goes live in Spring 2011.

“We broke new ground in 2009 with the launch of Battlefield Heroes, a game that has six million registered players worldwide,” says senior producer James Salt. “Now we are complementing that arcade shooter with a core, realistic Battlefield shooter experience that fans have been clamoring for.”

It is expected the game will use microtransactions just like Battlefield Heroes. Battlefield Play4Free will feature an in-game store for weapons and equipment players purchase with virtual currency.

The virtual currency can be earned through gameplay, and EA may also allow players to purchase with real money.