Battlefield 6 Review: EA Finally Delivers the Sequel Fans Deserve

Steven Marrone·January 26, 2026·0 comments

After logging over 100 hours across multiplayer, campaign, and RedSec, I can finally say it: Battlefield is back. Battlefield 6 delivers the large-scale warfare, environmental destruction, and squad-based gameplay that made the series legendary—without the rocky launch that plagued Battlefield 2042.

Table of Contents

Quick Answer

Battlefield 6 is EA’s triumphant return to form for the franchise. Here’s what you need to know:

  • Release Date: October 10, 2025
  • Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
  • Price: $70 USD / £60
  • Classes: 4 (Assault, Engineer, Support, Recon)
  • Launch Maps: 12 total (11 multiplayer, 1 battle royale)
  • Free Battle Royale: RedSec launched October 28, 2025
  • Verdict: Best-selling game of 2025 for good reason—this is the Battlefield sequel fans have been waiting for

What is Battlefield 6?

Battlefield 6 is a first-person shooter developed by Battlefield Studios (a collective of DICE, Criterion Games, Motive Studio, and Ripple Effect Studios) and published by Electronic Arts. With an estimated budget exceeding $400 million, it’s one of the most expensive games ever made—and that investment shows in every firefight.

The game takes place between 2027 and 2028, centering on a conflict between a fractured NATO and Pax Armata, a powerful private military company. Unlike the futuristic setting of Battlefield 2042, BF6 returns to a grounded, serious tone heavily inspired by Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4.

The numbers speak for themselves: Battlefield 6 sold over 7 million copies in its first three days, becoming the biggest launch in franchise history. Its open beta attracted over 500,000 concurrent players on Steam alone.

The Four Classes Explained

Battlefield 6 brings back the classic four-class system that defined the series’ golden era. Each class excels with specific weapons and serves a distinct role on the battlefield.

Assault

Primary Weapons: Assault Rifles, Grenade Launchers
Playstyle: Run-and-gun with faster health regeneration
Best For: Players who want to push objectives aggressively

Engineer

Primary Weapons: Submachine Guns, Rocket Launchers
Playstyle: Vehicle repair and anti-vehicle combat
Best For: Players who love taking down tanks and helicopters

Support

Primary Weapons: Light Machine Guns
Playstyle: Resupply ammo, place cover, heal and revive allies
Best For: Team players who keep squads in the fight

Recon

Primary Weapons: Sniper Rifles
Playstyle: Long-range engagements, battlefield reconnaissance
Best For: Sharpshooters who provide intel and headshot kills (which prevent revives)

While any class can technically use any weapon, each class gains unique perks with their designated weapon types. Recon players, for example, can hold their breath while aiming with sniper rifles.

All Maps at Launch

Battlefield 6 launched with 12 maps, each divided into “Combat Zones” that scale based on game mode. Here’s every map in the game:

Multiplayer Maps

  • Mirak Valley — The largest map at launch, set in war-torn mountain terrain. Supports all vehicles.
  • Empire State — Vertical urban combat in Brooklyn. Infantry-only.
  • Manhattan Bridge — Close-quarters fighting beneath the bridge with helicopter support.
  • Iberian Offensive — Dense Gibraltar streets with destructible buildings.
  • Liberation Peak — Mountain military installations with heavy aerial combat.
  • New Sobek City — Cairo outskirts mixing sand terrain and construction sites.
  • Operation Firestorm — Fan-favorite returning from Battlefield 3, set on a burning oil field.
  • Saints Quarter — Close-quarters Gibraltar Old Town. Infantry-only.
  • Siege of Cairo — Tight alleyways with tank support.
  • Blackwell Fields (Season 1) — California oil fields with minimal cover.
  • Eastwood (Season 1) — Suburban map with residential areas and a golf club.

Battle Royale Map

  • Fort Lyndon — Massive RedSec-exclusive map with numerous points of interest.

Game Modes

Battlefield 6 includes returning favorites and introduces two entirely new modes:

Returning Modes:

  • Conquest — Large-scale territory control
  • Breakthrough — Attack/defend linear objectives
  • Rush — Destroy M-COM stations
  • Team Deathmatch — Classic kills-based combat
  • Squad Deathmatch — 4-squad competitive matches
  • Domination — Smaller-scale capture points
  • King of the Hill — Control a single objective

New Modes:

  • Escalation — Teams fight over capture points that gradually decrease, funneling combat into intense final showdowns
  • Sabotage — Each team takes turns attacking enemy boxes while defenders protect them. Most boxes destroyed in the shortest time wins.

The Campaign

Unlike Battlefield 2042, BF6 brings back a full single-player campaign. You play as Gunnery Sergeant Dylan Murphy, a U.S. Marine Raider caught in the middle of Pax Armata’s global offensive against NATO.

The campaign spans multiple theaters—from evacuating Georgia to defending New York City from direct attack. It’s a cinematic, character-driven story that serves as an excellent tutorial for multiplayer mechanics while standing on its own as a solid military shooter experience.

Without spoiling too much: expect betrayals, explosive set pieces, and a conspiracy that goes deeper than a simple corporate army.

RedSec Battle Royale

Battlefield RedSec (short for Redacted Sector) launched as a free-to-play battle royale mode on October 28, 2025. Available to everyone—even without owning the base game—RedSec brings Battlefield’s vehicular combat and destruction to the BR genre.

Key features include:

  • The massive Fort Lyndon map
  • Gauntlet mode — A knockout elimination variant
  • Full Portal support for community-created experiences
  • Free-to-play on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S

Battlefield Portal

Battlefield Portal returns with a complete overhaul. Powered by the Godot engine, the new editor enables map creation, custom game logic, and complex gameplay mechanics that weren’t possible in Battlefield 2042’s version.

Within two days of launch, the community created:

  • A full recreation of Counter-Strike’s Dust II with bomb defusal
  • Call of Duty 4’s Shipment map
  • A Star Destroyer built from in-game assets
  • Zombie survival modes and racing challenges

Portal experiences are shared through a dedicated community browser, making it easy to discover and play user-generated content.

Should You Buy It?

Battlefield 6 is the best entry in the series since Battlefield 4. The return to four classes, serious tone, and proper destruction mechanics delivers exactly what fans wanted after the missteps of 2042.

Buy it if:

  • You loved Battlefield 3 or 4
  • You want large-scale warfare with vehicles and destruction
  • You enjoy squad-based tactical gameplay
  • You’re looking for the campaign experience 2042 lacked

Skip it if:

  • You prefer faster-paced arena shooters
  • Solo play is your priority (this game shines with squads)
  • You’re burned out on military FPS games

Pro Tips

  • Stick with your squad. Spawn points, healing, ammo, and revives all depend on teammates. Lone wolves die alone.
  • Learn the Combat Zones. Each map has smaller, designated areas for different modes. Empire State plays completely differently in Domination vs Conquest.
  • Use destruction strategically. Enemies hiding in a building? Level it. Need a new sightline? Blow out the wall. This is Battlefield—everything breaks.
  • Try the Kinesthetic Combat System. Leaning around cover, hitchhiking onto vehicles, and dragging teammates to safety before reviving can save your life.
  • Engineer is underrated. With vehicles being so powerful, having someone who can repair friendly armor and destroy enemy tanks is crucial.
  • Check Battlefield Portal weekly. Community creations range from wild fun to legitimate training grounds. Some modes are better than official content.
  • RedSec is free. Try the battle royale before buying the full game to test if Battlefield’s gameplay clicks with you.

FAQ

Is Battlefield 6 on Game Pass?

No. Battlefield 6 is not available on Xbox Game Pass or EA Play at launch. You’ll need to purchase the game separately.

Does Battlefield 6 have crossplay?

Yes. Full crossplay is supported between PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. You can disable it in settings if you prefer platform-specific matchmaking.

Is the campaign worth playing?

Yes, especially if you enjoyed campaigns in Battlefield 3 or 4. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s a solid 6-8 hour military shooter with some genuinely memorable moments.

How many players in Conquest?

64 players in standard Conquest. Some Portal modes support 128 players on larger maps.

Can I play Battlefield 6 offline?

The campaign requires an online connection. Multiplayer and RedSec are obviously online-only.

Related Guides

Summary

Battlefield 6 proves that EA learned from 2042’s failures. With its return to classic class-based gameplay, grounded modern setting, and the best destruction system in the series, this is the Battlefield sequel fans have waited over a decade to see. Add in a full campaign, the free-to-play RedSec battle royale, and an incredibly powerful Portal editor, and you’ve got a complete package that easily justifies its $70 price tag.

If you’ve been away from Battlefield since BF4, now is the time to come back. The franchise is in the best shape it’s been in years.

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Steven

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