Battlefield 6 just gave us our first look at its multiplayer, and all we can say is: buckle up, soldier. The game is set in the near future (a little too close for comfort, honestly) of 2027, where NATO has all but crumbled. All of the fan-favorite multiplayer modes like Conquest, Rush, and Breakthrough are back, but the end of the reveal strongly teased a battle royale mode — although it’s worth noting it wasn’t technically confirmed.
The release date was also confirmed for October 10, and that says quite a lot about EA’s faith in the latest entry in the Battlefield franchise. With Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launching in November, Battlefield 6 is shaping up to be quite the title if the team is confident enough to go nearly head-to-head with CoD.
Here’s what you need to know. The game will feature nine maps at launch, including a remake of Operation Firestorm from Battlefield 3. The nine maps are a mix of wide-open battlefields ideal for Conquest mode, as well as closer-range maps like Gibraltar. The trailer showed a map set in New York City, with the Brooklyn Bridge prominent in the background.
The old class system is also making a welcome comeback. Once again, you’ll take on the role of Recon, Assault, Engineer, and Support depending on your team’s current need in the fight. Players will step into the shoes of specific characters in the single-player mode, but it doesn’t seem (at least from what we’ve seen so far) that Specialists from Battlefield 2042 is coming back.
The classes have also seen a few changes, such as the Support class gaining the ability to pull injured players behind cover and out of the line of fire.
The graphics have obviously seen a solid upgrade, and though the trailer didn’t show hit markers or score indicators, don’t worry. They must have been removed for cinematic reasons, because the live gameplay after the initial presentation looked just like the battlefield you know and love.
Finally, the game will be restricted to 64-player battles. The franchise tried out 128-player battles in Battlefield 2042, but it was largely unpopular, and it didn’t take long before custom playlists tended to feature strictly 64-player lobbies. DICE seems to have learned from its mistakes, although the door for larger maps remains open through Battlefield Labs.
Portal also makes an appearance, allowing players to create custom game modes and experiences with insane objectives that look like they’re taken straight from the Halo custom game manual.
If you’re interested to play ahead of time — and you’re already signed up for Battlefield Labs — you can take part in a public beta starting August 7 and 8. If you aren’t already signed up, the beta will run between August 9 and 10 and then again from August 14-17. It’s a great chance to test the waters before the game officially launches this October.
