Battlefield as a series has a long history of introducing interesting features and never bringing them back, but it would seem that one of them has defied the odds, as Battlefield 6 is bringing back Portal. 2042 may have come and gone, leaving a slightly controversial legacy, but one of the best ideas it brought to the table was Portal. For those who aren’t aware, Portal was supposed to be Battlefield’s answer to a creative mode designed to let the community make anything and everything, leveraging old assets from past titles. Modern day soldiers could rub shoulder to shoulder with Panzer 4’s, fighting in the deserts of El Alamein with a suite of modifiers that could make games hyperrealistic, or a little goofy.
However, Portal’s debut in Battlefield 2042 did not live up to the vision many expected. Touted as a feature that would be built upon, it was quickly abandoned by DICE as the studio became wrapped up fighting the fires of 2042’s launch fallout. It wasn’t helped that all XP gains were turned off after several Portal servers emerged as fast XP farms, and without any new content, the mode was severely limited in its scope. But Portal has been given a second try in Battlefield 6, and with DICE promising it has even more features than before, it has the potential to be the game’s most exciting feature – or stand as a landmark to unfulfilled promises if it disappoints.
Battlefield 6’s Portal Is Promising the World, but DICE Had Better Keep That Promise
As part of the Battlefield 6 multiplayer reveal, EA dedicated a short slot to showing how Portal was back and bigger than ever in BF6. Once again, it is the feature that DICE wants creative players to be spending time with, coming up with a range of game modes, from simple modified rulesets, to chaotic minigames. But this time round, the scope is so much larger.
Beyond just tweaking variables, Portal is offering players the ability to edit levels, a series first. While not many details were given, DICE was keen to highlight just how wacky it could be, with players depicted trying to scale a sheer bridge while helicopter wrecks came crashing down like it was something straight out of Fall Guys. Another demonstration showed a soldier parachuting through a series of rings, and the developers briefly pulled back the curtain to tease the more granular level editing that can be expected.
Now, this is all looking fantastic, and it is a reminder of the old days of the series when Battlefield’s custom servers were its biggest draw, but a lot of people would be forgiven for reserving judgement. After all, DICE promised so much about its first implementation, but Battlefield’s Portal was full of wasted potential, and it served as a graveyard for old assets that players had to cobble together. There were plenty of great ideas cooked up by the community in 2042’s Portal, but they were hamstrung by a developer that did not have the resources or vision to commit to the feature. Cautious optimism has defined the mood leading up to Battlefield 6’s reveal, and for good reason, as the community has been burned by plenty of promises that EA and DICE later went back on.
There are plenty of reasons to expect good things from Battlefield 6’s multiplayer now that it has been fully unveiled, and DICE seems to have earnestly listened to a lot of player feedback. But with BF5 and 2042 promising so much, and having such rocky releases, it still feels like a “wait and see” situation with Portal. If executed right, it could be the best thing Battlefield has done in a decade, and a creative mode to rival the likes of Fortnite or Far Cry could be just what the series needs. But if Portal lands in the hands of fans unfinished and is quickly abandoned, then DICE will have fumbled one of its supposed best features at a time when it can’t afford to expend community good will.
Battlefield 6
- Developer(s)
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Battlefield Studios
- Engine
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Frostbite
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Number of Players
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Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
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Unknown
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