Electronic Arts has today announced a follow-up to Battlefield 1942, its successful WWII team-based multiplayer action game. Battlefield Vietnam will transplant the franchise's distinct gameplay to a conflict set in tropical locations as dangerous as they are beautiful and give troops even more firepower. As a part of the US or the North Vietnamese forces, players will be able to jump into online battles with up to 64 players or get some practice in the single-player component. The game will drop players into some of the Vietnam War's fiercest battles. The fighting will take place in a variety of theaters, from the jungles along the Ho Chi Minh Trail to the city streets of Hue.

　　Battlefield Vietnam will offer players an arsenal of authentic vehicles and weapons, including the iconic M-16 rifle. In the conflict, the workhorse vehicle for the US was the helicopter, and it will have a similar importance in the game. The North Vietnamese will have a number of Russian-made vehicles, such as the T-54 tank and the MiG-21 jet. The new game will take steps forward by allowing passengers to fire from moving vehicles and giving helicopters the ability to airlift other vehicles. New graphics and sound engines are being developed to better replicate the atmosphere of the conflict.

　　Battlefield Vietnam is being developed by Digital Illusions Canada, a new studio set up by Sweden-based Digital Illusions that's also developing the Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII expansion pack. The game is scheduled for release in the spring of next year.