Battlefield 1: Here's how melee weapons work

DICE has published a blog post that covers Battlefield 1's melee weapons and mechanics, which players got a taste of in the recently concluded beta. According to DICE, melee combat in Battlefield 1 is "deeper and more varied" than in any previous Battlefield game.

One melee move is the bayonet charge, which sees the player sprinting for a few seconds. If performed the right way, your target won't have a chance to block. Additionally, you're faster and take less gunfire damage when performing a bayonet charge. This move has its drawbacks, too, as your character will yell, alerting nearby players, and turn speed is limited during a charge.

If you miss with your bayonet charge, you won't be able to sprint normally until it completes its cooldown. Additionally, the bayonet negatively affects weapon recoil and how quickly you can get your gun to a fire-ready position after sprinting.

There is also knife-based melee combat in Battlefield 1. This has evolved since it was introduced in Battlefield 3, DICE said. "We also wanted to address feedback from earlier games, where players could get locked for some time when struggling for the knife before a frontal assault, so these types of struggles are removed from the game," the developer explained.

In addition to the bayonet and knife, Battlefield 1's other melee weapons include things like maces, shovels, pickaxes, and cavalry swords. These are divided into three classes: knives, clubs, and bladed/specials. They differ in three main ways: how fast you can swing them, how deadly they are, and "how easy they are to perform a brutal takedown with."

For example, a knife deals a low amount of damage, but can be used quickly and in rapid succession. Clubs deal "medium damage at medium speed," while the bladed/special melee weapons -- including the hatchet, shovel, and pickaxe -- deal the most damage, but are the slowest.

When you start Battlefield 1, you have a regular club, shovel, and knife in your arsenal. As you gain ranks, you'll unlock better ones, including weapons that can cut barbed wire or even damage light vehicles.

Read the full blog post to learn more about Battlefield 1's melee weapons and mechanics.

Battlefield 1's beta was a huge success, reaching more than 13 million players. That's a new record for an EA beta, surpassing Star Wars Battlefront's 9 million players. The full game comes out on October 21, though there are multiple ways to play early.