Battlefield 6’s beta has been a surprisingly addictive experience, grabbing my attention for the whole weekend. It’s rare to feel that same type of excitement for a game these days, especially after the rough runs of the last two Battlefield titles. EA and Battlefield Studios might be onto something here, especially if they cook it with the Battle Royale. That’s the next step that EA needs to take.
After some serious skepticism about EA’s big push on Battlefield 6 following Battlefield 2042’s flop, I’m glad to say that the game feels like it’s heading in the right direction. The joint effort from DICE, Motive, Ripple Effect, and Criterion has laid down solid groundwork. There are still a few glitches, but hey, it’s a beta. The foundations look promising.
Maps and Terrain
Only three maps were available during the first beta weekend, but they showed a decent variety. Siege of Cairo and Iberian Offensive are smaller but well-designed maps that play nicely. The biggest map, Liberation Peak, has aerial combat, but the infantry gameplay on it felt off. Snipers camping on mountain tops made it a pain to move around, and it messed with the map’s flow. Especially if you play Breakthrough. Holy moly, it’s a sniper shootout and nothing else. I think it either has to be reworked or Battlefield to award those who are sacrificing their souls rushing points, and actually try to win the game. Climbing on roofs and mountains was a bit too much. It’s something the devs can tweak, so it’s not a big deal.
Movement
Movement feels like a mix of classic Battlefield with a touch of Call of Duty’s smoothness. While it may not look or feel perfect, I kinda liked it, except for the slow vault animations sometimes. I mean, come on. The double tap to slide can also be changed, or unless it is available somewhere in the menu to set it up (I didn’t check this). The improved movement system especially shines and might come alive in Ripple Effect’s upcoming Battle Royale mode.
Gunplay
Guns felt satisfying, especially the shotguns that I loved to destroy people with. As in reality, they are a potent weapon, and they should remain as such in CQB (Close Quarter Battles). Each other’s weapon could shred with the right attachments, which was cool but also kinda frustrating when I got melted too fast by something unexpected. The devs mentioned on social media that some of the fast kills might be due to netcode issues, so fingers crossed they fix that before launch.
Menus
Menus were a headache. They felt overwhelming and too complicated for a game that’s trying to attract more players. Changing weapon attachments mid-match took way too many clicks, which could turn off newcomers. Player visibility was another problem. Spotting enemies without preparing down sights was tough, especially when looking into or out of buildings. The lighting made it hard to see players clearly, which felt unfair at times. There were a couple of places where it could’ve been HDR-related problems, like the sunbeams, to the point where you cannot see anything, but again, it’s still a beta, so we cannot judge that.
Battlefield 6 is preparing to be a solid entry. Most bugs and annoyances seem fixable in the two months left before launch. EA appears to be preparing to pull some Call of Duty fans over, especially with Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 leaning heavily on nostalgia. Ripple Effect’s free-to-play Battle Royale mode, expected in early 2026, might be the real game-changer. With Warzone losing steam, a fresh free-to-play BR could attract a lot of players to Battlefield. That could mean a big player boost well after the main game’s release.
