Battlefield 6 is bringing naval combat back to Multiplayer with Season 4. Tsuru Reef will launch as a new map built around land, air, and sea combat, while Wake Island will return later in the season. An official Steam guide explains how to pilot the new boats, choose the right equipment, and keep your squad moving through the water.
Season 4 introduces the RCB-90 Patrol Boat and the 7.7M NSW RHIB. One is a heavily armed fighting platform with a spawn point, while the other is a quick transport craft designed to get a full squad across the map before the enemy can react.
How to Pilot Naval Vehicles
Boats use the same basic controls as land vehicles. On a controller, the left stick handles acceleration, reverse, and turning. Keyboard and mouse players use WASD for those actions.
Keep moving whenever possible. A boat that stops takes time to build speed again, leaving it exposed to enemy boats, aircraft, and Engineers firing from shore. Even small circles can help keep the craft moving while making it harder to hit.
The water behaves differently depending on where you are. Open water around Tsuru Reef and Wake Island has heavier waves that can shove boats off course, disturb weapon aim, launch a craft into the air, and briefly block incoming fire. The waves can also provide temporary cover for an ambush.
Rivers and lakes are calmer, but they bring boats closer to infantry and land-based weapons. Avoid running aground because beaching a vehicle leaves it useless. Keep the boat near the center of narrow waterways and away from shorelines unless you are making a deliberate landing.
RCB-90 Patrol Boat
The RCB-90 is the slower but tougher option. It has more health than the RHIB, carries several weapon systems, and can act as a forward spawn point. When it reaches a shore or dock, its front ramp opens automatically, allowing teammates to deploy as infantry for beach landings and port objectives.
The driver can use an autocannon, a rotary heavy machine gun, and missiles. The ballistic cannon works well in close-range fights against boats and targets on shore. The HMG is better suited to infantry and aircraft. Missiles are particularly useful against other naval vehicles.
A practical attack pattern is to fire missiles first, then close the distance before using the autocannon or HMG. This gives the Patrol Boat a strong opening attack while helping it conserve ammunition until the fight reaches a useful range.
The gunner operates the 120mm mortar. Manual aiming works much like a tank turret and is useful against threats that are close and visible. Stabilized indirect fire can hit map locations without a direct line of sight. Players with more experience can also adjust muzzle velocity to change the shell’s range and flight time.
RCB-90 Mortar Types
- High Explosive: A high-damage shell that detonates on impact. Use it for direct and accurate attacks.
- Airburst: Detonates near enemy vehicles or after hitting surfaces. It covers a wider area but deals less damage than High Explosive.
- Guided: Locks onto land and sea vehicles. Defensive tools such as IR Smoke can cause the attack to miss.
- Smoke: Produces a large smoke cloud that can hide movement, including allied advances toward shore.
- Illumination: Descends by parachute and reveals nearby infantry and vehicles on the minimap during its descent.
The Patrol Boat also supports driver-weapon changes, including free-fire missiles instead of lock-on missiles and different autocannon calibers. Its default equipment includes IR Smoke, which breaks incoming locks, plus another equipment slot for torpedoes or mines.
Torpedoes are wire-guided weapons made for damaging enemy watercraft. Mines offer a slower, more patient approach by turning key routes into traps for opposing captains.
7.7M NSW RHIB
The 7.7M NSW RHIB is the speed-focused choice. It can carry a full squad, move through smaller waterways with less trouble, and hide more easily behind rolling waves. Its size makes it useful for fast flanks and sudden attacks around land formations.
Speed is also its main defense. The RHIB has low health and provides little cover for passengers, so slowing down gives enemy players an easy target. Use quick movements to cross exposed water and avoid predictable paths.
Its only built-in weapon is a machine gun that can damage light vehicles and enemy groups. Passengers will usually provide most of the firepower, but the gunner can add suppression during a crossing or help clear a landing area.
Five Naval Warfare Tips
- Use waves as cover. On open water, wave movement can hide your approach and interrupt enemy fire.
- Lead your shots. Aim with the boat’s movement and the water’s motion in mind. Waves can throw off a shot that looked accurate a moment earlier.
- Do not sit still. Keep the craft moving, even if that means making a small turn while waiting for a target.
- Build the RCB-90 around your job. Mortars, torpedoes, mines, smoke, and illumination let the Patrol Boat support direct attacks, landings, or information gathering.
- Use the RHIB for fast flanks. Its speed and smaller profile make it a better tool for reaching an unexpected angle than for trading fire in the open.
Choose the RCB-90 when your squad needs a durable assault platform and forward spawn point. Pick the RHIB when the plan depends on speed, surprise, and reaching the other side of the map before the shoreline becomes a shooting gallery.
Which boat will you use most in Season 4? Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram.
Battlefield 6
Developed by EA Digital Illusions CE
The ultimate all-out warfare experience. In a war of tanks, fighter jets, and massive combat arsenals, your squad is the deadliest weapon.
- Genre: Shooter
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5
- Modes: Single player, Multiplayer
- Release: 2025-10-10
- Publisher: Electronic Arts
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Age Rating:
GRAC 19+ / CERO D / USK 18 / ESRB M / PEGI 16 / CLASS_IND 14 / ACB MA 15+
- IGDB Rating: 74.3/100
