EA and Battlefield Studios launched Battlefield 6 last Friday, October 10, and I jumped in the moment servers went live. I dove straight into multiplayer and was instantly hooked. This new Battlefield feels like it remembers what makes the series special. I’m now over 20 hours in, having lived and breathed this game all weekend. I was having so much fun.
It reminded me of the Battlefield 3 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 days. All-out warfare where players unintentionally help one another, leading to your team’s success. The intensity never lets up, and you constantly feel the urge to drop a supply pack for teammates fending off enemies in a choke point or toss smoke on a road to cover a revive. Moments like sniping a helicopter pilot or moving in sync with strangers without a single word spoken. It’s just pure instinctive teamwork happening naturally, which to me defines this whole franchise.
The classic four classes return in top form, each covering specific roles and excelling with certain weapon types. Whatever class or vehicle you pick, you’re always contributing to the overall battle. The whole look at feel pulls you into the battle as the overall immersion makes a 20-minute battle feel like it’s only been 10.
What Works
Battlefield 6’s multiplayer at launch feels complete. There’s a strong map variety, each with unique layouts that create interesting situations and adapt well to smaller skirmishes or specific game modes.
There’s Operation Firestorm, a perfect playground for those who love vehicular combat on land or in the air, and Empire State, an all-out urban map that caters primarily to infantry gameplay. I haven’t even touched this game’s version of Battlefiel Portal, which is a mode that allows players to create their own game mode and rules, and unique map designs.
The beauty of the game’s design is in how each map feels distinct. Like pocket maps that, in time, dwindle into barebone structures with just enough cover and shape to fight in.
Destruction shapes new opportunities as fights drag on, a far cry from the maps in Battlefield 2042, which struggled to make the 64v64 format work. Those maps often felt like open, empty fields with cardboard-box buildings for cover before being blown apart mid-battle.
There are nine maps at launch, but I’m not feeling fatigued by its rotation yet. I’m mixing things up by experiencing different modes such as Rush, Conquest, Team Deathmatch, and Escalation mode (which is quickly becoming a favorite) and I’m liking how each map is used for each mode.
Gunplay feels solid but it’s hard to justify the depth of each weapon as i’m still in the process of unlocking each of their attachments. Most weapon types feel viable covering certain positions as I was able to successful provide suppressive fire in a funnel with an LMG, run and gun with SMGs or ARs, and take a few heads with the first sniper available. The reduced sliding based on beta feedback slows gameplay slightly but improves the overall feel, making positioning and aim more important than constant movement. Weapon variety early on is solid enough to make you feel useful regardless of class.
I can’t say much yet about gadget variety or loadout depth, as the grind to unlock attachments and class gadgets is long. I’m level 24 with over 20 hours played, and I still have a lot of grinding ahead if I want to max out a weapon or class. I’ll revisit this later, as it’s only been one weekend, after all.
A big surprise: performance and network stability at launch. From the Philippines, I experienced near-flawless performance across the board. No FPS drops, texture issues, or weird bugs show a lack of polish. This might be the most polished Battlefield launch to date.
When the servers went live, I feared the worst after seeing a queue of over 700,000 players trying to get in. Surprisingly, I was in within 20 minutes. Once connected, there was no lag or other technical issues.
For science, I restarted the game to test again and got the same result. EA and the developers were clearly ready for the influx of players, and the servers held strong. Aside from some players on the EA App who couldn’t play at launch (an issue that was quickly fixed and compensated for), it was a smooth release.
What Doesn’t Work
The most pressing issue right now is the grind. The experience needed to level up weapons or unlock gadgets feels excessive. It looks like it will take hours upon hours to max out a single weapon or class. Again, this might just be early frustration after one long weekend. Maybe the pacing will make more sense over time.
Another issue: cross-play matchmaking. On PS5, I’m almost always pooled with PC players, which isn’t a problem for me but could frustrate those hoping to be paired with other console players. It can be so bad that sometimes I’m the only console player in a match. It’s not a huge problem, but I’d appreciate it being tweaked to prioritize more console players to have a good mix. I’ve only had one match where most players were PS5 users.
For those wondering, turning cross-play off doesn’t help. In fact, it exposes one of the game’s biggest flaws: bots. When there aren’t enough players, the game fills empty slots with AI soldiers, and that’s the worst way to experience multiplayer. Matches can start with just five console players per side, the rest being bots that barely react or challenge you. Hopefully, this gets addressed soon as AI opponents are simply fodder compared to what real players bring.
As for the campaign, I’ve only played the first two missions. The opening hour didn’t pull me in as it already feels like a generic military shooter with predictable conspiracies and familiar tropes. The AI enemies behave like targets in a shooting gallery (similar to the bots in MP), though the initial set pieces are at least entertaining.
That’s it for now. I’ve already spent an unhealthy amount of time in multiplayer, but there’s still more to explore. I need to experience new weapons, gadgets, and the long-term replayability of the maps and modes. I’ll eventually finish the campaign, though the multiplayer is making that tough. For now, Battlefield 6 feels like a solid return to form and one that could thrive for years if it keeps this momentum.
About the Author – Carlos Hernandez
Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.
