So here we are in the brave new world of 2018. We’re already knee-deep in what may remain some of this year’s greatest releases. Whether you’re farming for those elusive decoration drops in Monster Hunter World, or trying to get pure platinums from start to finish in Bayonetta on Switch, it’s shaping up to be a great year for gaming.

Still, though, we can’t just get tied up in fresh new releases. This year is also going to see substantial updates for existing big-hitters. One of the first out of the starting gate is Battlefield 1, which just dropped its Apocalypse expansion yesterday. Let’s take a look.

Well, it’s available right now for Premium Pass owners, at any rate. You know developers and publishers and their money-grubbing shenanigans. Apocalypse is the fourth expansion pack for the hit FPS, following on from Turning Tides, In the Name of the Tsar and They Shall Not Pass. Each of the packs had added a new dimension to the combat, a new angle on the Great War, and Apocalypse is set to be the most explosive yet.

As you can see from the super-dramatic trailer, this DLC focuses on some of the most brutal battles of the war. The infamous Battle of the Somme is to take centre stage here, with the once-idyllic backdrop of the river added as a new map. Passchendaele and Caporetto have also been added, lending all new and varied backdrops to Battlefield 1’s patent heated combat.

In any FPS, map variety, layouts and such are always a big deal. The mountain trenches of Caporetto and the quiet countryside of Passchendaele will be interesting twists on the existing theme, then. Further, with new maps, you’re going to need new boomsticks, and Apocalypse has us covered there too. As you can see over at the official site, the RSC SMG and five other guns have been added, as well as brutal melee weapons like the meat cleaver and plybar.

Besides that, there are all kinds of other additions. A new game mode, Air Assault, for one, and a new set of assignment challenges among them. Most interestingly, a new specialisation type is now available, Afflictions. This allows players to hamper and challenge themselves in different ways, such as by activating ‘Mortality’ to reduce your score by 200. All in all, this is a big chunk of new content, and players will want to hop straight in.