With a new gameplay trailer released earlier today, DICE revealed more details about Battlefield V's battle royale mode. Called Firestorm, the game mode will include weapons, vehicles, and the destructible environments that fans expect from the long-running shooter franchise. It will also feature the largest map in series' history, but just how many players will Firestorm support?

Thankfully, the new trailer offered an answer for that too. Battlefield V battle royale will support 16 teams of four players, which totals 64 players overall. The trailer made no mention of duos or solo gameplay, which is supported by other battle royale games such as Fortnite and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. Given that Battlefield multiplayer has always been focused on the cooperative, teamwork element of shooter gameplay, it wouldn't be surprising if four-player squads are the only way to play.

Both the number of supported players and the squad-only approac may prove controversial for fans. For starters, 64 players is a much lower player count than the leading battle royale games (Both PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and Fortnite support 100 players). Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's Blackout battle royale mode is also rumored to support up to 100 players at launch. This makes the Battlefield V Firestorm player count a third smaller than its closest rivals and this could be a dealbreaker for some prospective players.

Limiting play to squads could also alienate some players. Battlefield V has other, squad-focused game modes (including Grand Operations) that encourage players to work together and some may have been hoping that its battle royale would let them prove their own skills, solo. Some players may also fear that they'll have to carry the squad if their skills significantly outpace those of their matchmade teammates.

Many will also wonder whether DICE has made provisions for things like friendly fire. Again, this is something that other battle royale games have had to deal with. In fact, Epic Games disabled friendly fire in Fortnite due to the negative behavior (e.g trolling and robbing teammates for their items) exhibited by some players.

If squads are mandatory in Battlefield V's battle royale, the risk of malicious friendly fire attacks is high. This is especially the case if a high-performing teammate gets fed up with the rest of the squad and wants to cut themselves loose.

It's important to note that Battlefield V Firestorm is releasing post-launch. This means that DICE has some time now to address player feedback and add the proper features to ensure that the mode is not only fun for players but stands up against its many other battle royale competitors too.

Battlefield V will be released on PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 20, 2018.