Electronic Arts has announced a new title in the popular Battlefield series of multiplayer shoot ‘em-ups, named Battlefield Heroes. The game will be a part of the company’s new “Play 4 Free” range of free to download online PC-only titles, and will release later this summer.

As such, the game will be aimed at a more mass market audience with a new cartoon-like art style similar to Valve’s Team Fortress 2. Despite the changes, the game will still be developed by Swedish studio DICE, the creators of the original Battlefield 1942 and Battlefield 2.

Battlefield Heroes will be offered completely free for download and features a built-in matchmaking system. What's interesting here is the The Play 4 Free business model, intended to generate revenue through advertising and microtransactions, and the evidence that this disruptive trend in online gaming has begun reaching the major developer-publishers with firm involvement in the console gaming world. It's also significant to see a company like EA offering a microtransactions-based online game aimed at a broader audience and less at the traditional 'core baseline.

“Online gaming garners a massive audience,” said Gerhard Florin, EVP publishing Americas-Europe at Electronic Arts. “People want to play games in new ways, with easier access that is quick to the fun. With Battlefield Heroes, EA brings its first major franchise to North America and Europe with a new distribution model and pricing structure adapted to the evolving way that people play.”

“We put a different twist on this Battlefield game going with the cartoon-style graphics and gameplay,” added Ben Cousins, senior producer at EA DICE. “There’s something here for all types of players - be it our core Battlefield fans or casual gamers. With the new online model, we will continually add new content to keep the game fresh and keep players engaged, while integrating player feedback in real time. As a game developer, it is such a cool new way to make games.”