Battlefield 4 player apology...err... appreciation month

Article originally published on Kupeesh!

EA's had a rough couple of months since the launch of their flagship FPS, Battlefield 4.  The game's rocky  launch left millions of angry fans staring at empty screens for days.  Add to that numerous denial of service attacks on game servers, slipping DLC schedules and a lawsuit brought by EA shareholders.  It was starting to look like Battlefield 4 was destined to be another Medal of Honor:Warfighter.

Fast forward 4 months and it seems the dust may finally be settling on Battlefield 4's troubled past.  EA's PR department is in full swing with a series of special events and giveaways culminating in "Player Appreciation Month"

During the month of February players can take advantage of free game add-ons called Battle Packs containing items such as weapon upgrades and customizations and timed experience boosters.  EA's also giving away shortcut kits which allow players the use of weapons and equipment that would normally only be available after many hours of play.  Drops are available for all players but Premium subscription holders enjoy additional bonus content and events.

The currently scheduled Shortcut Kit drops include:

February 18 to February 24
Shortcut Kit: Hand Guns
Battlefield 4 Premium Shortcut Kit: DMR’s

February 25 to March 4
Shortcut Kit: Grenades
Battlefield 4 Premium Shortcut Kit: Shotguns

Whether it's truly "Player appreciation" or just a PR exercise you can't argue with free. 

In related news, the second DLC pack for the game, "Second Assault" has begun rolling out to Premium subscription members as of February 18th.  Regular players will be able to access the content on March 4th.  The new DLC is primarily composed of popular maps from Battlefield 3 including Caspian Border and Gulf of Oman.  Other additions include the use of a dune buggy, a new game mode (capture the flag) and 5 new weapons.