I've been buzzing since about 2:35 this afternoon. The Battlefield 6 multiplayer reveal event began at 2:30 Eastern Time, and it only took five minutes to blow me away. I don't even attempt to hide my love for the Battlefield franchise around here. I mean, I was one of a few games media folks still actively covering Battlefield 2042 when it ended its live service operations. I was going to be in regardless, but after today's reveal, I'm all-in.
The live reveal event opened with a multiplayer gameplay trailer showcasing the classic, large-scale warfare that fans of the series have come to love. You can see the new Kinesthetic Combat System in action, which takes gunplay and mobility to new heights for the franchise. We can drag teammates and revive them, mount weapons on walls and objects, lean and peek, and more. It’s slick. The traditional class system is also back for Battlefield 6, with players able to select from Assault, Recon, Engineer, or Support, with class-based signature weaponry and gadgets. For instance, the assault class gets bonuses for using assault rifles and can also carry two primary weapons at once.
A separate trailer revealed that Battlefield 6 will include nine maps at launch, including ones set in Egypt, Gibraltar, New York, and a remade version of Operation Firestorm from Battlefield 3. Maps will be scalable based on which game mode you’re playing, with each having multiple “combat zones” specifically designed for each mode. Speaking of, there will be modes for everyone available at launch. If the traditional all-out warfare modes of Conquest, Rush, and Breakthrough are not your jam, BF6 will also have smaller-scale modes ready to go at launch, including Team Deathmatch, King of the Hill, Squad Deathmatch, Domination, and a new mode called Escalation. Battlefield Portal returns from Battlefield 2042 as well but is getting expanded to allow player created maps and modes and looks impressive so far. Oh, and they teased the long-rumored battle royale mode, which is coming “soon”, and could be a free-to-play element.
Perhaps most importantly, Battlefield 6 is getting a free open beta over the next two weekends, with the first set for August 9th through 10th, and the second running August 14th through 17th. Battlefield 6 launches October 10th for PC, PlayStation 5 (with unspecified PS5 Pro support), and Xbox Series X|S. Pre-orders are available now for two editions – a Standard Edition for $69.99 and a Phantom Edition for $99.99, which includes some extra cosmetics packs, and a premium battle pass. Come back and see me for further updates on Battlefield 6’s single-player campaign and the battle royale mode as we get closer to launch.
