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Battlefield 6: everything we know so far

Battlefield 2042's final specialist rides a helicopter.
EA

The genre of realistic, competitive FPS games is dominated by a few titles. Call of Duty has become synonymous with multiplayer shooters for over a decade now, but Battlefield at one point was a strong rival. Unlike CoD, we don’t see a new Battlefield game on the list of upcoming video games every year, so the franchise isn’t always top of mind outside of its hardcore fanbase. The last entry was a disappointment for almost everyone, so we’ve been waiting for the announcement of the next entry to start fresh, somewhat like Onimusha: Way of the Sword and Perfect Dark. We have only seen the tiniest glimpse at the future, but here is the full loadout on everything we know about what we’re calling Battlefield 6.

Release window

A soldier running in a warzone in Battlefield 6.
EA

We know that EA and Battlefield Studios are gearing up to bring players into various playtests for Battlefield 6 thanks to the Battlefield Labs program. That said, it was made abundantly clear that when these tests do start, the game will be in a pre-alpha state. How long a game is in pre-alpha before launch can vary, but EA at least currently expects the game within its 2026 fiscal year according to its third-quarter earnings report. That would mean the game could be released any time between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026.

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Battlefield 6 will also be the first game produced by the new Battlefield Studios, which is comprised of four EA studios. Dice will be leading the multiplayer component, Motive will assist on maps and single-player, Criterion leading single-player, and Ripple Effect is working on something new to the series.

Platforms

Soldiers running through a building in Battlefield 6.
EA

If the platforms available to test Battlefield 6 are a good indication, then the game will launch on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Depending on development time, it might be a cross-gen game with the PS6 but that is pure speculation.

Trailers

Introducing Battlefield Labs | Battlefield Studios

EA didn’t give us a true Battlefield 6 trailer but snuck in a sneaky tease of the game when announcing Battlefield Labs. The pre-alpha footage appears to be set in modern times, as opposed to the past or near-future like the last entries. The location may be somewhere in the Middle East, but it is difficult to say for sure at this juncture.

Gameplay

A building being hit by an RPG in Battlefield 6.
EA

That pre-alpha footage doesn’t hold still on any single shot for long, but does highlight many of the core aspects we want from Battlefield 6.

There are intense shootouts in urban environments with tanks and dozens of soldiers involved, as well as a ton of dynamic destruction. Explosions scatter rubble, kick up smoke, and even collapse segments of buildings.

We only see a rifle and RPG for weapons, and no shots of actually driving any vehicles, but it wouldn’t be a Battlefield game without tons of weapons and controllable vehicles so we’re sure they will be included.

There is also the mystery of what new experience Ripple Effect is bringing to the game, which will likely be some form of new mode.

The first Community Update posted on Reddit focused on gameplay and movement changes. The current philosophy guiding Battlefield 6 is refining and modernizing the best elements from the entire franchise with the goal of creating a system that all players can enjoy but still rewards skill.

The current build has reduced the time between pulling the trigger and actually seeing your bullets fly so gunplay feels instantly more responsive. This goes along with a target of 60Hz refresh rate and servers that update more frequently to make aiming and firing on a moving target as accurate as possible with no strange discrepencies.

Recoil is also being tweaked to more accurately represent each individual weapon, but also change based on your handling.

In terms of movement, animations are being reworked to be more smooth, and advanced options like crouch sprint and combat dives are being reintroduced.

Preorder

Battlefield 6 isn’t technically confirmed or announced yet so there won’t be any preorder information for a while. We will keep you fully updated as more information comes out.

Jesse Lennox
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jesse Lennox has been a writer at Digital Trends for over four years and has no plans of stopping. He covers all things…
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