Gameplay footage has leaked from an earlyBattlefield 6playtest, and even though it’s an exceptionally minor glimpse into what the final product will be, I think it’s showing promise inrectifying the missteps ofBattlefield 2042. Developer DICE’s last crack at the famed multiplayer shooter series is generally considered a low point forBattlefield. A launch riddled with bugs and connection issues was only the beginning of2042’s problems, where fundamental design flaws kept the game from ever truly flourishing.
Battlefield 2042saw some improvements over the yearsthat it was supported, but never really felt like a true inheritor to the series. DICE and publisher Electronic Arts have seemingly gone back to the drawing board, and will be attempting to reinvigorate the fanbase with the upcoming, untitledBattlefield, colloquially being referred to asBattlefield 6. To do this,Battlefield 6’s playtest is purportedly the largest in history, leaning on the experience of longtime players to shape the future game’s direction.
Battlefield 6 Leaks Look Surprisingly Promising
A Potential Return To The Series' Height
Battlefield 6’s leaked footagedoesn’t necessarily reveal much, but it’s unexpectedly encouraging. Only a 45-second clip was posted to Reddit by userAGONYTheReal, showing the player running through a war-torn city and taking out a few enemies while capturing an objective. It appears to be the classic Conquest experience on a map called Abbasid – presumably somewhere in Iraq, named after the Abbasid Caliphate. There are five objectives, and the video seems to be from the early stages of a match, since both teams have just under 1,000 respawn tickets, presumably the starting total.
Another video posted by Reddit useriswhatitiswaswhatis nearly five minutes long, seemingly from the same playtester. What’s so surprising is just how complete it looks for a playtest. Theplaytesting program is known as Battlefield Labs, and was only unveiled about a month ago, at the beginning of February. Despite the blurry videos and a few flickering textures,the leaked footage actually looks like a bona fideBattlefieldgame, with its visual language clearly influenced by the series' glory daysofBattlefield 3and4.
Another standout bit is the sound design. The first video clearly doesn’t do the actual in-game sounds justice, butBattlefieldhas long been known for its incredible sound effects, and there’s a heavy machine gun rattling in the early seconds that has sufficient punch – not to mention the explosions and small arms fire.More importantly, though, is the apparent full return of traditional classes inBattlefield 6; Assault, Engineer, Support, and Recon seem to be the four in the footage.
Battlefield Might Be Learning From 2042’s Mistakes
Hopefully No More Hero Shooter Elements
Battlefield 2042’s near-future setting had some promise (and I’m personally a big fan of 2006’sBattlefield 2142), but it was let down tremendously by gameplay elements that didn’t feel at home in the series. Most obvious is its slate of playable characters – named Specialists with unique abilities. These were later categorized into more traditional classes, with loadouts thus limited, butthe myriad gadgets available contributed to the erosion ofBattlefield’s signature squad-based gameplay.
Battlefield 6seemingly returning to classes is the right move, and it’ll only be helped by what appears to be better map design.2042attempted to transition the series to 128-player lobbies. While the idea is exciting in theory, it resulted in very large and open maps, jeopardizing an interesting flow to gameplay.Glimpses of the spawn screen in the leaked footage show a dense, urban environment throughout, with plenty of buildings to fight in and around, while still providing avenues to accommodateBattlefield’s signature vehicular combat.
Another feature of note isBattlefield 6’s UI, which appears to be a significant improvement over the notoriously derided menus and HUDs of2042. A particularly exciting change is the return of a helmet-cam-like feed when hovering over a squadmate on the respawn map, which shows their situation in grainy black-and-white. But generally, the UI in the leak – though likely not final – looks like it might be a big step up in terms of readability and usability.
I Still Need To See More From Battlefield 6
It’s Too Early To Call It A Success
Without any word on a release window for the nextBattlefield, it’s best to keep expectations in check, even with this promising first glimpse.Two short, blurry videos aren’t enough to convince me the series has entirely righted the ship, even if I’m intrigued by what’s been leaked. It looks likeBattlefieldand sounds likeBattlefield, with a resemblance to the series' heyday no less, but there’s a long way to go until the game actually releases.
Extensive playtesting has me cautiously optimistic, and this leak suggests development may be further along than I anticipated. Judgment should obviously be reserved for how it feels, though, and withBattlefield 2042such a recent and massive misstep for the series, more thorough promo material is definitely required before I let myself get excited. That said, as far as leaks go, this is almost a best-case scenario forBattlefield 6, getting players interested with what looks to be gameplay genuinely interested in returning to a winning formula.
Source:AGONYTheReal/Reddit,iswhatitiswaswhat/Reddit
Battlefield 2042
Battlefield 2042 is another entry in the long-running Battlefield series. In this online multiplayer first-person shooter, the world has broken out in turmoil over rising seas, political tensions, and satellite crashes causing mass blackouts. In each match, players take on the role of a specialist to fight against other players on the battlefield.
