Battlefield Redsec is out now, and I'm relieved to say EA's battle royale stays true to Battlefield instead of pinching too much from Warzone or Fortnite

Battlefield Redsec has been released today (October 28), and – surprise! – it's free. Despite launching alongside the first season of Battlefield 6, Battlefield Redsec is standalone and will task 100 players, or 25 squads of 50 duos, with battling it out in a battle royale format that looks to stay surprisingly true to the more traditional Battlefield experience.

In a Battlefield Redsec briefing held ahead of launch, EA shared that Battlefield Redsec is set in California map Fort Lyndon – part beachside suburbia, part military blacksite. It's the largest map in Battlefield history, built to support both close and long range playstyles, and – in line with that classic Battlefield realism – is encircled by a roaring wall of fire, which will close in as each match progresses.

While Battlefield Redsec is going to face endless Warzone comparisons no matter what it does, the battle royale does put its own spin on the genre. Rather than the steady damage that being out of bounds usually entails in battle royales, Battlefield Redsec's closing circle immediately kills anyone that falls outside of it, presumably dooming anyone with a "let me loot one more building" teammate (you know who you are) to perpetually come in last.

Beyond that, Battlefield Redsec also brings over Battlefield 6's class system. Choosing Assault, for example, still lets you stick ladders down, while Support boosts your squad's health regeneration and can carry more plates (yes, there is armor plating – it is a little Warzone-y). However, class abilities can now be upgraded for a little more functionality than their multiplayer counterpart. Gear can be unlocked through training paths, and in the demonstration we were shown, RPGs can be upgraded to guided missiles whilst Recon drones can be made to drop bombs – something they could do in Battlefield 6's campaign, but not multiplayer.

Besides trying not to die, you can also tackle missions and counter-missions – think bounty hunting and gaining intel – which unlock caches and access to combat vehicles. M1 Abrams and M3 Bradley tanks are kept in slightly goofy vehicle containers, which is great news for Fort Lyndon's real estate market, as destruction is also carried forward from Battlefield 6. As will support for Portal, which is getting additional support alongside two maps based on Fort Lydon – with more to come post-launch.

As for the thrilling topic of progression, Redsec shares progression with Battlefield 6, although there are challenges specific to each mode. A Battle Pass is shared across both modes, though, and Redsec will be included within the same launcher. With all that said – Battlefield Redsec is out now, and if you see me accidentally flattening my duo later today, no you didn't.

Check out the Battlefield 6 roadmap to see what else is on the way for one of the best FPS games we've been playing this year.