Battlefield 6 is a bit of a reset for EA’s series, following the tepid Battlefield 2042 four years later. Looking to avoid the mistakes of the past, the direction Battlefield 6 is taking is directly inspired by Battlefield 3 & Battlefield 4. While it is easy to be skeptical, unlike Battlefield 2042, this game will have a campaign, and even features the same classes as Battlefield 4. This isn’t to say they are completely avoiding everything that was in Battlefield 2042 – destruction is one of the big tenets of this game, and Battlefield Portal is back and more fully featured. EA held an event celebrating the game on July 30th and 31st, where I was able to dive into the multiplayer.
Kinesthetic Combat: More Control in the Chaos
Battlefield 6‘s claim to fame is the Kinestestic Combat System, which is designed to give players more control over mobility and tactical options in the heat of battle. One example they highlighted and I was able to try out was dragging downed allies and reviving them at the same time, making it so you aren’t completely a sitting duck, though there is still risk, as I found out many times. Vehicles are going to be more finely tuned and easier to use, classes’ gadgets are more powerful, and you aren’t restricted by class in many different ways. Destructibility, instead of weather like a tornado, will be an option players have by either intentionally doing so or as a side effect of destroying the battlefield. While I can’t speak if this game’s destructibility will be to a level of a certain tie-wearing ape’s in Bananzana earlier this month, in the footage we were shown, shooting a rocket at a building, collapsing an entire building, or bringing out your trusty sledgehammer can all result in more creative kills if sniping or slide-shotgunning isn’t to your tastes. Competitive Battlefield fans do not need to worry as the destruction will always be the same, even if how the demolitions expert goes about it may be different.
Nine Launch Maps and Operation Firestorm’s Return
Battlefield 6 will launch with nine maps, with the fan-favorite Operation Firestorm returning. EA and the four studios working on Battlefield 6 have promised that more maps will be coming in seasonal content. Speaking of DLC, EA stated all gameplay-impacted features will be free or earnable, so you don’t have to worry about DC’s Peacemaker taking you down with his comically oversized Desert Eagle Mark XIX without the ability to return the favor. The maps depend on the mode of course, but there seems to be some variety between close-quarters engagements built for shotguns and epic battlefields for those who want to hop in a tank and hopefully not get sniped. On the theme of maps, Battlefield Portal returns with an increased tool set, improved scripting AI, and players can mess with the User Interface and map. They’ve also made a concerted effort to make Battlefield Portal less “hidden”, stating players won’t have to dig through menus, and the teams at EA will be highlighting “Verified Community Experiences” they see trending or want players to experience. While my shooter experience has been quite limited in recent years, Battlefield Portal reminds me of Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne‘s World Editor. While I don’t know if a DOTA 2-type craze will be the result of this and achieve the 100 million players EA is banking on, they did show us how zany player creations can get. The map they showed off had players seemingly racing to the top of a nearly vertical stretch of road with vehicles, debris, and bodies of unsuccessful soldiers succumbing to gravity as if it were the opening scene to Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. What happens when players reach the top, if that was even the objective, is unknown, but I have to admit – I’m intrigued.
Crossplay, Cross-Save, and What’s Still a Mystery
Crossplay is confirmed, as well as cross-save. Crossplay is optional, so don’t worry if you want to keep your console experience “pure”. EA is remaining tight-lipped about certain factors like PC optimization, but says it’s a priority.
With Battlefield 6, EA is promising not just a new game in the series but the start of building a Battlefield universe. During hands-on time at this announcement event, the dizzying amount of options, graphical fidelity, and potential variety of game modes may very well live up to EA when they say every game will play out differently. I did not see any flying vehicles. There were definitely some loadout options missing that were detailed in the literature we were given, and it is odd they featured the sledgehammer so prominently when I could not find it at all (this was a real bummer as someone who loves melee!). It’s clear EA wants to keep testing before its imminent launch in October.
Battlefield 6 Beta and Launch Details
Battlefield 6 launches on October 10th with an open beta on August 9th and 10th, followed by another open beta on August 14-17th. Battlefield 6 will be launching on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, the EA App, Steam, and the Epic Games Store. There are currently no plans for a Switch 2 version. There is a Phantom Edition with Season 1 content and other goodies.
