Squads have been a part of the Battlefield franchise for a very long time. They’ve been a way for players to set objectives, differentiate friends from random players lovingly referred to as “blueberries,” and more. Still, unless squads are attempting to reach the top of the leaderboards, more often than not the feature isn’t used as well as it could be. With Battlefield V now on the way, DICE hopes to change this by making Squads more important than ever before.

According to a new official Battlefield blog post, there are a few changes coming to the game such as adding more communications options allowing Squadmates to talk with each other not only in-game but between matches and in loading screens as well. This might be a small change but one that will be quite useful in strategising tactics and other areas of the online experience. Communication is key to working as a team but there is something even bigger coming to the upcoming Battlefield title that will change the game forever.

Unlike previous titles, any player on the Battlefield can revive their Squadmates regardless of if they’re a medic or not. This coupled with the new ability to drag friendlies to safety before preforming a revive makes sticking together as a group a crucial aspect of play. This might seem like it would detract from needing a Medic in groups however that is not the case. There will still be a definite need for Medics as they can heal anybody as before regardless of if they’re in the same Squad or not. Medics will also have the ability to revive faster and heal more on revives than the rest of the classes featured in the game.

According to DICE, “We’re also adding a short physical interaction to the revive, meaning that you will be face-to-face with your teammate – no matter which end of the syringe you’re on. Seeing the face of your buddy (not to mention seeing each other’s visual customizations) will hopefully be a cool little moment. You’ll be able to revive from many angles, meaning you’re putting yourself less in harm’s way.”

When discussing the importance of a good squad, they added, “Speaking of revives brings us to another new addition: dragging a teammate to safety. Say you’re playing on a high-octane map and a downed teammate is calling for help from a meat grinder area. Going for a revive in this situation has historically been a suicide mission. Your odds will be a lot better in Battlefield V. Run to your teammate, drag him to safety, and revive behind cover. You’ll feel like a hero (and score some more squad points).”

On paper these squad changes seem to be a vast improvement over older systems however only time will tell how well they play out in-game. Battlefield V is available for pre-order and will release on October 19th for the standard edition while the deluxe edition gives players early access on October 16th. Are you ready to return to the battlefields of World War II once again? Let us know your thoughts on the upcoming changes to Squads in Battlefield V and more in the comments section below. As always don’t forget to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter for 24/7 coverage of all things gaming and entertainment.