| Battlefield 6 | ||||
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| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | Pre-Order & DLC | Open Beta Review | Review |
We had the chance to play the Battlefield 6 Open Beta developed by Battlefield Studios and published by EA. Read on to learn everything we know, our review of the early access, and more.
Everything We Know About Battlefield 6
Battlefield 6 Plot
Battlefield 6’s single-player campaign is set in the year 2027 and revolves around a fractured and weakened world. Following a high-profile assassination that shook the globe, several major European countries have withdrawn from NATO.
From this event, a new, powerful private military corporation known as "Pax Armata" emerged. With advanced technology and a willingness to cross ethical lines, Pax Armata poses a significant threat to global stability.
Battlefield 6 Gameplay
Battlefield 6's retains ther series’ first-person shooter gameplay and centers on large-scale multiplayer modes like Conquest and Breakthrough, where teams compete to control objectives and deplete the enemy's resources on destructible maps. The game returns to a classic four-class system (Assault, Recon, Support, and Engineer), but offers more flexibility in weapon choice.
New features include a "Kinesthetic Combat System" for improved movement, a "Drag and Revive" mechanic, and the ability to mount weapons for better stability. The main challenge is adapting to the dynamic, destructive environments and coordinating with teammates to handle a mix of infantry and vehicles.
Battlefield 6 Release Date
Battlefield 6 is set to be released on October 10, 2025 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, Epic Games, and the EA App.
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| Price | $69.99 | ||||
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Battlefield 6 Review [Open Beta]: A Promising Return to Form So Far
The developers have confirmed that Battlefield 6 draws heavy inspiration from 2010’s Bad Company 2 as well as Battlefield 3 and 4. Even EA Executive Vice President Vince Zampella has acknowledged this—news that instantly sparked excitement for me and countless other fans. But that excitement also came with its fair share of hesitation.
In recent years, the Battlefield series has been a mixed bag. Battlefield 2042 had a disastrous launch, eventually patching itself into a playable state—but by then, much of the damage to fan trust had already been done. Worse still, it just didn’t feel like Battlefield. Instead, it came across as a hollow version of its former self—more of a generic shooter, often criticized for feeling like Call of Duty rather than delivering the large-scale, team-focused warfare the franchise is known for.
That’s why skepticism going into this open beta was inevitable. On top of the series’ recent struggles, EA’s overall track record—especially with live service games—hasn’t exactly inspired confidence. So while the trailers looked fantastic and early-access impressions from content creators were overwhelmingly positive, I went in with one core question in mind: Would the fundamentals that made Battlefield great actually be there?
Game Feels More Team-Based Than Ever
First off, it’s important to remember that this is an Open Beta, so anything I critique or praise here could change drastically by the time the full game launches. Whether the developers listen to feedback will make all the difference.
Booting up the beta, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of modes available right out of the gate—especially considering there’s more to come in the full release, including the campaign. Right now, there’s Breakthrough, the mode first introduced in Battlefield 1, V, and 2042, which delivers some of the most intense action in the series.
In it, two teams have clearly defined roles: attackers push forward to secure sectors, while defenders dig in to hold ground and bleed the attackers’ limited reinforcements. Then there’s Conquest, the signature Battlefield experience, where large-scale all-out war unfolds with tanks, jets, and helicopters shaping the flow of battle. In Conquest, two teams fight for multiple control points, and holding more objectives steadily drains the enemy’s tickets, turning every capture, revive, and elimination into a critical moment that can shift the tide of war.
Another available mode is Closed Weapons Conquest, which is essentially standard Conquest but with the twist that you’re locked to the weapon of your chosen class. I find this version far more balanced and tactical. We also have Domination, which focuses on smaller, faster-paced infantry combat, and King of the Hill, which is an objective-based brawl over a single contested zone.
For newcomers, I strongly recommend starting in the Training Grounds with bots. It’s the perfect way to get familiar with maps, objectives, and your role without being thrown into the current (and sometimes rough) matchmaking.
While all the modes have their place, I have to admit I much prefer Closed Weapons Conquest over regular Conquest. The ability to switch between guns from other classes can be fun at first, but it often leads to imbalance and unnecessary chaos. Sure, it can be exciting in short bursts, but over time, it becomes frustrating, especially when entire lobbies turn into nothing but snipers.
These players still get all the benefits of their chosen class while wielding weapons outside their intended role, and it just doesn’t feel fair. To make matters worse, finding a Closed Weapons Conquest match can take noticeably longer, which only adds to the frustration. The most frustrating match I had was when three snipers were camping on top of a building, and on top of that, they somehow had the Support class ability to place a barrier, making it impossible to take them out.
Speaking of classes, I’m thrilled to see the classic Battlefield class system return. The beta currently has four. Assault soldiers are the frontline fighters who specialize in breaking enemy lines and pushing the attack. Engineers are anti-vehicle experts who can destroy enemy armor and repair friendly vehicles. Support players act as the backbone of the team, supplying ammo, healing allies, and intercepting enemy explosives. Finally, Recon specialists excel at long-range combat, scouting enemy positions, and guiding precision strikes.
This system brings back the tactical identity Battlefield was built on. You’re not just chasing kills—you’re fulfilling a role, contributing to your squad in a unique way, and getting rewarded for it. Personally, I gravitate toward the Support role. There’s nothing more satisfying than dragging a downed ally to safety, healing them, and keeping the fight going. It feels purposeful and team-oriented in a way that’s been missing from more recent entries.
I also have to mention that the developers built the game from the ground up, and you can actually feel it. They’ve introduced a new movement system called the “Kinesthetic Combat System,” which aims to enhance mobility and gunplay by adding and refining features such as contextual leaning, cover-mounted shooting, crouch sprinting, and rolling off jumps. You can even grab and drag downed teammates to safety before reviving them, which adds a whole new tactical layer.
The game strikes a fine balance between realism and responsive movement—characters feel quick and agile, but not floaty. Aiming feels precise, and I’m glad that the reworked system rewards careful gunplay over excessive jumping or sliding. I rarely ran into aiming or recoil problems, and even when playing with people on different pings, the experience stayed smooth. Hopefully, the developers keep this consistency while ironing out the bugs—like when my loadouts stayed the same despite me changing them before deploying.
As for the weapons themselves, variety is limited in the beta, but the fundamentals are solid.
The classes cover all the expected categories—Assault Rifle, Carbine, SMG, LMG, Sniper Rifle, DMR, and Shotgun—and nothing feels drastically underpowered or overpowered. Right now, you can only unlock a few guns per class, but in my experience, the AK-205 and the shotgun stand out as the most effective. That said, nothing feels game-breaking, and overall, the weapons handle great. I just hope the full release expands the arsenal so the sandbox can really shine.
There’s also a pretty solid rewards system in place for the Open Beta, and I’d definitely recommend everyone try to finish it before it ends. There are quite a few cool skins and perks you can unlock just by joining and completing the beta challenges, and the best part is that most of them are fairly easy—things like leveling up or reaching certain ranks. It’s a nice little incentive to keep playing, and it feels good to walk away from the beta with some exclusive rewards to show off later. I’m really hoping the rewards system in the full release stays just as satisfying, but that might just be wishful thinking at this point—especially considering EA’s recent monetization tactics in their other games.
Hoping For Bigger Maps
During the open beta, players got to try four multiplayer maps: Liberation Peak (Tajikistan), Siege of Cairo, Iberian Offensive (Gibraltar), and Empire State. All of them look fantastic, but Siege of Cairo easily stood out to me. It drops you straight into a dense urban warzone brimming with atmosphere—red flags flutter overhead, towering coconut trees frame the streets, and rows of small buildings are crammed with air conditioning units, a perfect nod to the region’s sweltering heat. There are even tiny environmental touches—mice darting across alleys, scattered crates—that make the place feel alive. With its tight alleyways and multi-level buildings, it’s a map built for both close-quarters chaos and clever vantage play.
Overall, the selection is strong—Empire State remains as fun as ever—but I’m hoping the five additional maps already announced will be larger in scale. At present, the beta maps lean toward infantry-focused combat rather than sprawling vehicular warfare. This isn’t inherently bad—infantry battles are intense and tactical—but the smaller layouts can lead to frequent camping or firefights bottlenecking into cramped chokepoints.
Liberation Peak is another standout, blending aerial dogfights, ground vehicle battles, and classic infantry skirmishes into one map. Still, it feels like there’s room to grow. Adding an underground tunnel network—reachable by elevators or staircases—could create new flanking opportunities and make sniper-heavy matches far more dynamic.
Iberian Offensive is a blast to play, with its winding streets and layered building interiors that let you dodge tanks or ambush enemies from unexpected angles. It’s a map that rewards creative movement and quick thinking.
That’s why I’m especially excited for Mirak Valley, touted as the largest map in Battlefield history. If done right, it has the potential to become a fan favorite, offering the kind of sprawling chaos that defines the series at its best.
In the end, I have no major complaints about the maps available so far. They’re varied, well-balanced, and diverse enough to keep matches fresh. Still, Battlefield’s identity thrives on large-scale mayhem, and I can’t wait to see it return to those massive warzones where infantry, armor, and air support all collide in glorious, unpredictable chaos.
Crisper Sound and More Satisfying Destruction
The game absolutely looks and feels fantastic. The sheer scale really makes you feel like you’re in an actual battlefield, thanks in large part to the reworked destruction system where environments feel more realistic than ever. The level of freedom is unmatched—you can reshape the battlefield by creating new paths or causing pure, chaotic destruction. The sound and visual design in Battlefield 6 are incredibly crisp. Weapons feel weighty, you can hear the characters breathing, and every shot or reload has a visceral punch. It completely pulls you in. But the standout feature for me is the destructible environment.
By the end of a match, the map looks like it’s been through hell—buildings shattered, debris everywhere, and landscapes transformed by the fighting. The visuals are a feast: bodies strewn across the battlefield, tanks and vehicles wrecked and piled into each other, and explosions so spectacular you’ll see ragdolls flying through the air. Even with just the handful of maps and weapons available right now, the level of chaos is incredible—so I can only imagine how much more intense and destructive it’ll be in the full game.
Matchmaking is Pretty Bad
I understand—it’s an open beta. Bugs, hiccups, and rough edges come with the territory. But right now, queuing for Battlefield 6 feels less like a quick hop into the fight and more like a waiting room marathon. The game tells me the server’s full, I wait patiently… and when I finally get in, actually finding a match becomes its own battle.
Take Closed Weapon Conquest, for example. It took nearly ten minutes to gather enough players, and even then, the queue would hemorrhage participants before the match began, leaving teams lopsided from the start. Sadly, this isn’t a one-off occurrence. That said, it’s not always bad—I’ve also had sessions where matches started almost instantly and ran without a hitch.
The real issue is consistency. Right now, matchmaking feels like a coin flip, and with the game set to launch in October, EA needs to address this early. Given the EA’s history with servers—often a mixed bag—ensuring stability on day one should be a top priority.
The developers have confirmed that skill-based matchmaking is part of the system, but in practice? It’s hard to see. The gap between newcomers and veterans is obvious—one glance at the scoreboard tells the whole story. This leads to wildly inconsistent gameplay: one match turns into a camp-heavy slog, the next dissolves into a chaotic free-for-all where objectives are ignored.
Here’s hoping the full release smooths out these cracks in the foundation, because when Battlefield 6 works, it’s a blast—and it deserves to deliver that experience consistently.
PC Players Will Have to Suffer Secure Boot
This was easily the most frustrating decision I’ve had to make with Battlefield 6: switching from the PC version to the PS5 version, all because of one requirement—Secure Boot. On PC, if Secure Boot isn’t enabled, the game simply won’t run.
Now, EA does provide a guide on their website, but it’s not exactly plug-and-play. Enabling Secure Boot depends on your hardware and BIOS setup, which varies from brand to brand. I’m not a complete stranger to PCs, but this process felt risky. Before even touching a setting, I had to research my PC’s make, model, and BIOS version, then confirm whether I could actually enable it. And the more I read, the less confident I felt—sure, some people said it was easy and harmless, but others reported horror stories: bricked systems, boot errors, forced repairs, and endless reboots caused by failed configurations.
In the end, I decided it wasn’t worth the gamble. I’m not alone, either—plenty of players online have said this requirement turned them away from the PC version. I get that this is meant to fight cheating, but the average player doesn’t want to wade through BIOS menus, risk breaking their system, or follow a complicated tutorial just to play a game. Casual PC players, especially, might not even know where to start.
Sure, you only need to enable Secure Boot once, but the barrier to entry is high enough that it becomes a dealbreaker. There needs to be a better alternative—one that protects the game without locking people out or forcing them to navigate a technical minefield just to join a match.
We’re So Back
Looking back on my Battlefield 6 experience so far, I’ve realized that most of my complaints boil down to technical hiccups and balance issues—things that can absolutely be fixed before launch. And that’s a good sign, because it means the core gameplay is already in great shape. It feels authentic to what Battlefield has always been—large-scale, team-focused, and immersive—not just another Call of Duty clone. In many ways, it truly feels like the rightful successor to Battlefield 3 and 4.
I’m optimistic because the developers have been active and responsive throughout the beta, rolling out updates and taking player feedback seriously. This open beta feels less like a throwaway test and more like a genuine, heartfelt tribute to the series—a promising return to form.
That said, I do have a short wish list. For one, I’d love to see a ranked mode return, something noticeably absent from Battlefield 2042. And while Battlefield has traditionally delivered great set pieces in its campaigns, the storytelling has rarely matched the spectacle. This is one area where Call of Duty often pulls ahead. A well-crafted, memorable story mode—one that sticks with players after the credits roll—could give Battlefield 6 an edge it hasn’t had in years.
But above all—EA, please keep the servers stable and consistent at launch, and don’t ruin the goodwill with excessive monetization. The gameplay foundation here is strong, and it deserves to shine without being overshadowed by technical frustrations or aggressive cash grabs.
Game8 Reviews
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Battlefield 6 Product Information
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| Title | Battlefield 6 |
|---|---|
| Release Date | August 8, 2025 (Open Beta Test) |
| Developer | Battlefield Studios s |
| Publisher | Electronic Arts |
| Supported Platforms | PC, PS5, Xbox Series XIS |
| Genre | Multiplayer, FPS/td> |
| Number of Players | 1-4 |
| ESRB Rating | N/A |
| Official Website | Battlefield 6 Website |
