After several hours in the trenches of Battlefield 6 it has become clear to me that it's a conventionally safe, but highly refined return to the era of Battlefield 3 and 4 – and that's very much by design. For better or worse, the changes made to the modern military formula pioneered by those games are more about enhancing that experience rather than making any substantial tweaks.
Those expecting a bold new step in the game's history might be let down, but those who want a return to the fundamentals after the more experimental Battlefield 2042 can expect something that will definitely meet them halfway. Even so, the game's biggest selling point – the emphasis on destruction and blowing up whatever unfortunate obstacle is in your way – didn't quite live up to my expectations.
Method in the madness
Find out everything you need to know about the 4 Battlefield 6 classes in time for the beta here!
Playing Battlefield 6 is an experience of two very distinct halves. On the one hand, it feels a lot more tactical in smaller maps and modes like Squad Deathmatch – the four of you creeping around, using complementary abilities and gadgets to clear rooms of other teams. The Support class slams down deployable cover and heals downed allies in a flash of defibrillator sparks, while the Recon runs around marking enemies and laying C4 in strategic spots before racking up careful headshots with a sniper rifle. Then it's up to the Assault and Engineer to be the tip of the spear, using firepower and explosives respectively to leave piles of bodies in their wake. Even with limited communication during the Battlefield 6 event in LA, that considered, intelligent aspect shone through loud and clear.
In the smaller maps. In the larger maps, it was almost completely absent. Maybe it was the confusion that comes with hundreds of players being given the game for the first time, but in the larger game modes of 32 on each side, all strategy went out of the window and chaos reigned supreme. Tanks rolling through crowds of panicking grunts, constellations of sniper scopes glinting on distant hilltops, overworked medics called in a thousand different directions every second, and yes, the occasional burning helicopter falling out of the sky like a meteorite. It's hard to be strategic about being hit in the back by a burning Chinook.
Which isn't to say it's not still fun. Being part of a whole platoon emerging from the trenches and running through enemy fire has an undeniable thrill, made all the more potent by some thunderous sound engineering on the developer's behalf. When a jet screamed overhead or a tank rumbled through combat, I felt it in my feet as much as in my ears. Likewise, enhancements to movement and mobility mean that playing feels a lot more spry on the ground than in older installments, and vehicles remain a good time – though I still can't fly a chopper to save my life.
Fire in the hole
Stalking through the stairwell in a Brooklyn office block, I suddenly yelped as the wall beside me was blown apart and an unexpected merc began peppering me with bullets through the haze
No element of Battlefield 6 was sold to us more in the initial presentation than the game's destruction physics and the power of a well-placed explosive. The phrase "tactical destruction" was used more than once, highlighting methods like breach-and-clear, or planting charges under enemies from the floor below to take them by surprise.
But in practice, this element feels a bit vestigial. Not every wall or surface is destructible (something you can only test through trial and error), and it's not always clear if you're trying to bust through something unbreakable or if you need a bigger payload. The Assault Class comes with a grenade launcher that seems perfect for busting through brick like the Kool-Aid Man, but I and everybody I spoke to had the same experience: you'd fire it at a wall, only for the smoke to clear and leave a small burnt smudge where it had impacted while alerting everybody on the other side of said wall to your presence. Oops.
Don't get me wrong; when it works, it's a good feature! Stalking through the stairwell in a Brooklyn office block, I suddenly yelped as the wall beside me was blown apart and an unexpected merc began peppering me with bullets through the haze. But that happened infrequently, and it was easy to forget that destruction is a core feature at all. The choice to make it situational is admittedly an intentional one, explained in a Q&A before we got the chance to play. Players can "rely on the cause and effect," and that "randomness would be chaotic." The logic is sound, though some way to clearly denote what will break and what won't wouldn't have gone amiss.
The debrief
After the less-than-warm response to Battlefield 2042, Battlefield 6 is EA's safe bet: a return to the design ethos of BF3 and BF4, more focused on getting the fundamentals right than introducing anything particularly groundbreaking – which may be why the literal groundbreaking and destruction mechanics are being careful not to overstep.
But I can't deny it's a solid shooter on its own terms. Even at its most explosive moments, it's weightier and more strategic than Call of Duty, and the enhanced movement and recoil-heavy gunplay make everything feel punchy and cathartic. I'm definitely looking forward to the full release on October 10, 2025, even if those in the chopper with me won't be.
