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Battlefield 6’s Top Gun update will return Wake Island on August 18

The Season 4 update will also add Carrier Strike, two new jets, Custom Lobbies, Spectator Mode, and a USS Grant POI in Battle Royale.

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Fighter jets attack around an aircraft carrier and island in Battlefield 6

Battlefield 6 will receive its next Season 4 content update on August 18. The Top Gun update will bring back Wake Island, add two air-focused modes, introduce new aircraft and a sniper rifle, and expand the game’s Portal tools. The Battlefield team outlined the plans in a new Steam community update.

The update follows Season 4’s launch with Tsuru Reef, a map built around land, sea, and air combat. Wake Island will continue that direction with carrier-based headquarters, open water, and routes designed for infantry, vehicles, boats, and aircraft to collide in the same battle.

Wake Island returns with a naval focus

Wake Island will be reworked for the current Battlefield sandbox. Both teams will operate from carrier-based HQs, while the island layout and surrounding waters create room for boat attacks, infantry pushes, vehicle battles, and air support.

The map’s open combat lanes should give each match several ways to develop. Squads can attack across the island, defend routes from the water, or contest objectives from above.

Aerial view of Wake Island in Battlefield 6

Carrier Strike and Fighter Sweep add new air battles

Carrier Strike will be a new mode where both teams attempt to destroy the opposing carrier. Players will capture sectors across the island, deploy vehicles, and create openings for pilots to attack deeper into enemy territory.

Once a carrier takes enough damage, the match will move to a final objective inside the vessel. That last push will turn the mode into a coordinated assault to finish the enemy carrier.

Fighter Sweep will arrive in REDSEC as a new Gauntlet mission. Teams will earn points by destroying enemy jets and stockpiles placed around the playspace. Players can focus on dogfights, attack objectives, or break away while their squad searches for another scoring chance.

New aircraft, a sniper rifle, and a crashed carrier

The Top Gun collaboration will add three pieces of hardware to the game. The Interdictor will join the weapon lineup as a sniper rifle, while the F/A-81F Super Spectre and F-74A Seacat will arrive as two-seat jets.

Battle Royale players will also get a new point of interest at Fort Lyndon. The USS Grant will be a crashed carrier containing higher-value loot than standard POIs. During the first few weeks after the update, the location will be marked as a High Value Zone so squads can find and contest it more easily.

The crashed USS Grant carrier at Fort Lyndon

New settings explain weapon accuracy and flight controls

The update will add an optional ADS Dispersion Crosshair. When players fire an automatic weapon while aiming down sights, the indicator will expand as dispersion increases. Movement will also affect the display, giving players a clearer view of how repositioning changes accuracy.

The option will be enabled by default in the Firing Range only. It can be disabled entirely or turned on in multiplayer through the settings menu. Players will also be able to adjust its opacity and colors.

Airplane Control Assist will receive attention alongside the new aircraft and air-focused modes. The setting is designed to help players understand the available flight controls and find a scheme that suits them.

Battlefield 6 soldiers fighting on a tropical battlefield

Gunplay and matchmaking remain under review

The Battlefield team said its earlier data showed time-to-death increasing across most weapons and ranges after the previous major gunplay update. That trend has remained steady, while live-match data shows more eliminated players dealing damage before they go down.

Further weapon tuning is still being considered. The team said it wants to identify outliers and improve underperforming weapons without making enemies feel like bullet sponges.

Playlist adjustments were also recently made across all regions to improve queue times, match quality, and activity in the most-played modes. The changes will continue to be reviewed alongside player feedback and matchmaking data, with Portal and Custom Search keeping more flexibility available.

The adjustments were also outlined in a BattlefieldComm update.

Portal adds advanced creation tools

Selected Portal creators will gain access to an Advanced Editor program with experimental tools such as baked lighting and terrain editing. Heightmap editing and terrain shader painting will let builders reshape areas and apply materials including grass, dirt, and rock.

Bellum1988’s Custom Operation Metro has already been selected for inclusion in the Portal SDK as an early test of the tools. More creators will receive access during the preliminary rollout, and approved creations will be added to the SDK for the wider community to use.

An interest sign-up for the Advanced Editor will be introduced in the future. In the meantime, the team plans to keep reviewing creator work and refining the program.

Tsuru Reef will support custom experiences, while Wake Island will first be available for Verified Experiences and later in the season for Custom Experiences.

Custom Lobbies and Spectator Mode arrive through Battlefield Labs

Custom Lobbies and Spectator Mode will arrive with the August 18 update through Battlefield Labs in Live. The features will initially support Battle Royale Quads and Conquest.

Custom Lobbies will give hosts more control over match setup, including team assignments and selected settings. The tools are intended for private sessions, community tournaments, creator events, and organized matches with friends or larger groups. Spectator Mode will let players follow those matches from a new viewpoint.

More modes are planned as the feature grows, and a separate article with additional details will be published before the Top Gun update launches.

Wake Island, carrier warfare, and the new Portal tools will give Battlefield 6’s August 18 update several different ways to play. Tell us which addition you are most interested in, share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram.