Battlefield 6 developer explains there's no visual filter, every level in the new FPS simply has "the actual atmospheric vibe of each particular location"

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Ironically, what fans are asking for is a filter

Battlefield 6 multiplayer screenshot
(Image credit: EA)

A lot of games tend to have a distinct visual style. Fallout 3 is green, Red Faction: Guerrilla is orange, and a lot of the Battlefield series is blue. Some fans didn't like the tints they saw in the Battlefield 6 beta and removed them, but one developer says there's no filter, just the "vibe" of each map.

Over on Reddit, one post shares a side-by-side comparison of one map in two different visual styles. The original, as the developers intended it, is much colder, the trees darkened and the clouds a deep gray, assault rifle a steely blue. It's a dark, gritty warzone.

Comment from r/Battlefield

The fan-made image with the "filter" off is warmer, the trees are a vibrant green, and the flecks of sky that peak through the overcast are bright, with luminous fires off in the distance shining radiantly. It looks like a combat encounter after a smartphone has done some automatic color correction.

"This game's beauty is hiding behind the filter just like BF3. Take a look at it," reads the original poster's caption. There's a heated debate in the comments, with some agreeing and wishing there was a toggle option to switch between the two looks, and others thinking the original version looks good as is.

Battlefield's global community manager, Kevin Johnson, weighs in, writing: "Biomes, temperatures, and creative intent should be taken into consideration when it comes to these things. It isn't a 'filter' it's the actual atmospheric vibe of each particular location."

So, a toggle would actually be adding a filter to make the game brighter and colorful, rather than turning off some imaginary filter that gives it a cooler tone.

Personally, I'm a fan of the colder aesthetic; it makes war look bleak, not like a holiday. It fits the intended grounded tone of the game a lot more. Then again, I also like the green of Fallout 3, so maybe I'm the weird one.

While you wait for its full launch, check out the best FPS games you can play today.

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Issy van der Velde
Issy van der Velde
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I'm Issy, a freelancer who you'll now occasionally see over here covering news on GamesRadar. I've always had a passion for playing games, but I learned how to write about them while doing my Film and TV degrees at the University of Warwick and contributing to the student paper, The Boar. After university I worked at TheGamer before heading up the news section at Dot Esports. Now you'll find me freelancing for Rolling Stone, NME, Inverse, and many more places. I love all things horror, narrative-driven, and indie, and I mainly play on my PS5. I'm currently clearing my backlog and loving Dishonored 2.

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