(Update) 'Battlefield 1' image leaks appear to show World War I setting, October 2016 availability

Initially appearing on NeoGAF, the leaked image could confirm earlier rumors that the next Battlefield will take place during World War 1. The art features a zeppelin, iconic Mauser pistol, and a spiked trench club, used for close quarters combat by both the Allies and Central powers during the conflict.

A second image leaked via Reddit reveals the game's name, 'Battlefield 1', lending further support to the WW1 setting. A third image leak (via Shinobi602) has revealed the game's launch date - October 18th, 2016.

Battlefield 1

EA and DICE are set to reveal the game in full later today at 4 PM ET / 9 PM BST, and the developers are currently hosting a pre-show on the Battlefield website.

DICE is well versed with the World War 2 era, shipping titles like Battlefield 1942, but it'll be interesting to see how the studio plans to inject gameplay flavor into World War 1 combat, given the limited technology available at the time. Indeed, the World War 1 setting will put Battlefield 1 at an extreme polar opposite to Activision's Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, which is set to take the shooter franchise far into a future where space battles and robots are commonplace.

I'd normally tell you to take leaks with a pinch of salt, but this one's looking like a foregone conclusion.

How do you feel about Battlefield 1? Do you like the World War 1 setting? Let us know in the comments!

Jez Corden
Co-Managing Editor

Jez Corden is a Managing Editor at Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by tea. Follow on Twitter @JezCorden and listen to his XB2 Podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!