According to a tweet from Visceral Games’ Vice President Steve Papoutsis, the leaked gameplay trailer for Battlefield Hardline that recently took the gaming world by storm was actually indicative of the game as of six months ago. Originally meant for use at an internal meeting, Papoutsis promises that the game has progressed a great deal since that time.

With E3 quickly approaching, Electronic Arts and Visceral are set to show off a more recent build of the cops & robbers-style shooter when the publisher’s media showcase helps kick off the show.

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This is perhaps most exciting because - despite being six months old - the leaked trailer shows plenty of potential, highlighting what could be an exciting next step for heist games. With high-profile releases like Payday 2 and Grand Theft Auto V throwing players into similar scenarios, this is hardly something new, but the chance to engage in elaborate online heists has yet to be perfected. Whether through technical prowess or storytelling, there is certainly room for a game to claim the title of best heist game to date.

Not content to simply give insight into the age of the leaked trailer, Papoutsis has also released an official statement on behalf of EA and Visceral naming the release window for Battlefield Hardline as fall 2014. As such, it’s a safe assumption that gamers will be getting a rather extensive look at all aspects of the game once E3 arrives. Given that EA is planning to reveal six new titles during the show, there are still five surprises to look forward to.

This all comes in line with DICE’s promise that Battlefield Hardline will not interfere with their continued support for Battlefield 4 following its disastrous release last year. With a completely different team helming this project, it’s unlikely that gamers will be faced with the same launch issues but even so, for many gamers the launch has caused irreparable damage to the brand. Judging by the content that has been released, Hardline is looking promising. Hopefully come E3, gamers will get a better idea of what they can expect to see come fall.

Are you excited to see the Battlefield series go in a different direction? Do you think this title will avoid the launch issues that plagued Battlefield 4?

Battlefield Hardline is set to release on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One during fall 2014.

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Source: Steve Papoutsis, Battlefield Blog, Electronic Arts