The Battlefield series is known for destructive environments and combined-arms combat across large-scale maps, but for the first time in several years, Battlefield 6 returns the franchise to the modern era for an entry that has the potential to be a proper successor to Battlefield 3 and 4. Major environmental destruction is back, and the game steps away from the unpopular specialist operators of Battlefield 2042 in favor of the more traditional class system.
“We loved Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4, and we wanted Battlefield 6 to be inspired by that,” VP and executive producer Christian Grass said when discussing the studio’s focus for the game. “We wanted to make sure we nailed the tactical destruction system, we wanted the classes to be great, and we wanted the core combat system to be the best we’ve ever created.”
“We knew what we knew what we needed to do in the beginning,” Ripple Effect creative director Thomas Anderson added. “To take the best parts of Battlefield 3 and 4 and just push those to quality.”
Battlefield 6 dives back into this modern setting with a global conflict that provides a pleasant variety of map locations. We were able to get hands-on with five different maps across various modes. We fought gritty, close-quarters fights in the streets of New York on the Empire State map, while Liberation Peak served as a large, mountainous landscape with tons of wide-open spaces for snipers. Siege of Cairo is a sprawling desert map for large-scale modes like Conquest, but we also played a smaller slice of the locale for the more condensed Squad Deathmatch mode. These smaller maps are pulled from the larger map designs, but placement of objects and how destruction is used has been altered to fit the smaller play area.
The Squad Deathmatch mode provides the opportunity to step away from Battlefield’s typical large-scale warfare and go for a more hectic pace with in-your-face action moments that feel more in line with an experience you’d get from a Call of Duty multiplayer match. These feature four squads of four fighting on small maps to be the first to rack up a certain number of kills. You still have roles to play in Squad Deathmatch, and with such close-quarters action and more opportunities to die, the medic-style Support class is very useful here.
Of course, Battlefield 6’s large-scale modes are where the game shines. Our multiplayer session included the familiar modes of Conquest, Domination, and Breakthrough. This is where the destruction feels more impactful, as certain buildings can serve as power positions to hold flags, but you can change the direction of the fight by simply collapsing all the floors with well-aimed rockets or a grenade launcher. I’ve always found the destruction in older Battlefield games to be extremely satisfying, and it feels even more so in Battlefield 6. Targeting a building often doesn’t just take away the frontside or a specific chunk; you can collapse several floors and sometimes an entire building of a structure on top of opponents. And that makes it a significant hazard to watch out for when moving through interior spaces.
Tanks can now more easily drive through structures as well. Enemies behind a wall? No problem: You can just drive a tank right through concrete walls to take them out, while also forging new pathways for your teammates. Tanks were really fun to drive and use to bully right through enemy defenses. As for air support, I’m the pilot most likely to crash and wipe my whole squad. From what I can tell, flying vehicles seem like a blast to use; helicopters and jets were crashing everywhere in a way only Battlefield does.
All of these destructive and cinematic moments come at a cost, though, as Battlefield 6 is moving away from last-generation consoles. When discussing the improvements in technology, Christian Grass said, “It’s really difficult from a technological and balancing point of view to create the package that is Battlefield. There are so many things that are competing in terms of computation power that we need. The vision of Battlefield 6 wouldn’t have been possible on the previous generation.”
Outside of the destruction elements, another Battlefield signature is its class system with weapons tied to each role. Being an Engineer once meant you had to use a submachine gun if you wanted to repair tanks, or you’d need to wield a light machine gun if you wanted to play a support role for the match. Now, Battlefield 6 aims to break that mold without losing the feel of the class-based roles.
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The traditional class system was one of the loudest talking points prior to Battlefield 6’s reveal. Originally, the developers announced that every weapon would be available regardless of class, but there was backlash from the community, as many players didn’t want the game to lean away from the traditional Battlefield class system. Battlefield Studios listened, and now players will have the freedom to choose between having weapons unlocked or choosing a classic weapon-locked system for Battlefield 6.
As someone who’s played a ton of Battlefield games over the years, I was curious which way I’d lean in the great class debate. We spent around seven to eight hours playing the Battlefield 6 closed beta, and I often found myself choosing to go outside the specialized weapons for the Support and Engineering classes. Honestly, call me a Battlefield disloyalist if you want, but I rarely wanted to use a light machine gun when playing Support, and I almost never wanted a submachine gun when playing as an Engineer on the large-scale maps and modes. That’s not to say that the submachine guns don’t feel great, but I preferred to use them when playing in close-quarters scenarios on the smaller Squad Deathmatch maps.
The developer says the choice for locked or unlocked weapons will be available in the beta and at launch. Additionally, there are no XP penalties for choosing one option or the other. “We’re confident in our design,” Andersson said, “But if people don’t agree or a niche of players don’t agree, they can play [weapons locked.]” “They can play however they want,” Grass said, jumping in. “We’re happy as long as you’re having a good time playing Battlefield 6.”
Each class will still have its own role to play, and my time with Battlefield 6 never felt like I wasn’t playing a meaningful class type when I did swap my weapons. However, it can be beneficial to stick with a class’s specialized weapons, as you get trait bonuses for using that weapon type. For example, the Recon class rewards snipers with faster rechambering between shots, decreased scope speed, and improved breath control to stabilize aim for longer. Non-Recon players who use a sniper might feel at a slight disadvantage, but they can still complement that weapon choice with other tools available to their class.
In addition to the specialization bonuses, each class comes with its own unique gadgets and a special class-specific Active Ability that can be used and recharged over time. For example, the Recon class features the Active Ability to call in a UAV, and the Engineer Active Ability allows you to repair more efficiently for a limited time.
Movement is also improved in Battlefield 6. The game features what Battlefield Studios call a “Kinesthetic Combat System,” which is basically a whole mouthful just to say there are new maneuvering actions to help you excel on the battlefield. With this updated system you can now peek and lean around corners, mount weapons against a surface to reduce recoil, hitch a ride on the sides of tanks, and even drag teammates while simultaneously reviving them. These actions are very situational, but the most impactful is the ability to drag and revive downed friendlies while moving them to the safety of cover. I definitely saved more lives during my time with Battlefield 6, and it really makes you feel like a hero while performing these revives .
These are early impressions that point to a strong start for Battlefield’s return to a modern landscape. It’s also worth mentioning that this beta build of the game felt extremely polished, and I didn’t encounter any lag or performance issues. Out of the several hours played, I only experienced one instance of a bugged optic on my assault rifle, which caused a prismatic color pattern to appear in the scope and block my view.
Of course, we only got to play a handful of maps and modes, with a total of nine maps confirmed for launch, including the return of Battlefield 3’s Operation Firestorm. The popular game mode Rush is also confirmed to return, but we didn’t get a chance to play it at the reveal. There is still content yet to be seen, and we also don’t yet have a good indication of what the game’s post-launch content might look like.
When asked if the game would keep thematically appropriate skins and bundles for Battlefield 6, or if they had plans to add wacky Call of Duty-style bundles, Grass said, “Battlefield 6 is a modern military shooter.” The developer also referenced the skins designed for the premium Phantom Edition of Battlefield 6, which are soldiers in black suits that still keep the style and gear of modern military uniforms. Of course, that doesn’t mean the future won’t include something a bit more outlandish. “We’re talking about now and not necessarily the future, but we are a modern military shooter,” Grass reiterated.
Overall, my early impressions for Battlefield 6 suggests a strong return to the modern-day setting and a positive step towards balancing the classic experience with updated mechanics and freedom for all playstyles. All the big action moments are there, the destruction is exciting and more impactful than ever, and the gunplay feels solid. So far, it’s shaping up to be the more direct successor to the beloved Battlefield 3 and 4 that many fans have been waiting for.
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