Battlefield 4 Multiplayer Classes Detailed By DICE

Battlefield 4's multiplayer will bring back the same four classes seen in Battlefield 3: Assault, Recon, Support and Engineer. However, DICE has altered each of these kits ever so slightly.

"We’ve tweaked them to be more versatile and more highly specialized within their fields," core gameplay designer Alan Kertz said on the Battlefield Blog. "Now more than ever, you can explore a wide range of combat roles and sub-roles when picking your load out and kit."

The Engineer is said to have more anti-vehicle weapons at his disposal. For example, he can use the guided MBT LAW for high accuracy but low damage or select the RPG-7V2 to trade precision for damage. The FGM-172 SRAW, a missile launcher that players can guide along its flight, will be returning from BF2.

The Assault class seems to have received the least amount of changes. It's still the frontline medic class, capable of reviving or healing friendly units. New First Aid Packs will allow them to heal a single soldier on the move. Additionally, their grenade launchers can now be loaded with Flash Bang rounds to clear out chokepoints.

Support soldiers will retain the C4 explosives and Claymores they possessed in BF3. They've also got a number of new weapon options. They can equip the XM25, an airburst grenade launcher, to lay down suppressing fire. Their choice of main weapon now includes carbines and designated marksman rifles as well. The new Ammo Pack, similar to the First Aid Pack, allows a Support player to top off a single teammate's ammunition.

DICE is trying to avoid pigeonholing Recon as a sniper class. They can now head into the fray with carbines, C4 and claymores. If you're the sniping type, you'll have access to new scopes and other accessories for your rifles. Furthermore, the sights for bolt-action rifles can be zeroed so that they fire more accurately at certain distances. The motion detector, aerial drone and radio beacon are all still available for Recon players. To make the class more mobile, DICE also introduced a Portable Laser Designator to allow players to quickly paint targets.

As someone who primarily plays Engineer, I'm a bit disappointed they didn't talk more about that kit. I'd love to hear more about how they plan to change that class's utility. I've long expressed my hatred of the EOD Bot from BF3 and hope they redesign it significantly. It would be cool if they turned it into a completely automated repair device that follows vehicles around on its own. They haven't announced anything of the sort, though.