As Someone With Thousands of Hours Playing Battlefield, Here’s How I Think BF6 Can Get Back on Track

While multiplayer games steadily losing players as they age until they reach a baseline user base is the norm, Battlefield 6’s dwindling player count falloff has been particularly noteworthy, with everyone pointing to different reasons as to why the game is struggling. However, as someone who has been playing Battlefield for the majority of my life, I can confidently say that there’s no reason the game can’t recover and win fans back. When looking at the disastrous Battlefield 2042 launch that required months of reworks, or Battlefield 4’s horrendous netcode problems, it becomes clear that the issues that exist within Battlefield 6 are much more easily fixable. Whether BF Studios actually steadies the ship remains to be seen, but the path ahead is clear.

Step 1: Maps Remain Too Much of a Talking Point to Ignore

When looking at the hive mind that the main Battlefield subreddit has become, one would think that Battlefield 6 is a disaster. In reality, many of the issues tend to be overblown, from “Battledads” complaining about movement tech — even though movement tricks in Battlefield were common in games like BF4 — to endless whining about cosmetics despite BF6 having nothing but bland skins thus far (a different issue we’ll tackle soon). However, this does not mean that every complaint has no merit, as there are boxes that Battlefield 6’s map pool absolutely needs to start checking.

One of these boxes is a naval map, something that has thankfully been acknowledged and will likely arrive within a future Battlefield Season. The boats, ships, and AMTRACs already exist in the BF6 campaign, so it’s only a matter of time for such a map to be added. Next up is map size, as though I think the argument that Battlefield 6 is aimed only at Call of Duty players is absurd (I still remember people saying that about BF3), there do need to be more large maps in the game. Or more specifically, less meat grinders, as the “action around every corner” philopsophy does become tiresome after a while. I loved me some Operation Metro and Locker, don’t get me wrong, but I loved strategizing flank routes and finding useful sniper positions on bigger maps just as much. Variety is key, and it’s something that has to be improved upon soon.

Battlefield’s Classic Maps Could Reignite Interest

Image via EA

Speaking of Operation Metro, it’s time that Battlefield 6 capitalizes more on the series’ legacy of great maps. To be clear, I don’t want a Call of Duty situation where there’s remasters around every corner (even I’ve had my fill of Nuketown by now), but a 2-1 balance for future Battlefield Seasons would be ideal. If the angry Battlefield veterans who cannot stand BF6 hate all the new maps, then why not offer them a piece of Battlefield history every Season that gives them something to enjoy? That way, everybody wins. Maybe the leaks prove true, and we get to fight on Propaganda again in the near future. I love that map and would he happy to see it back, but there should be a much larger list of remasters in the works, as there have been so many great maps released throughout the series’ history that could cater to different groups. Let me relive that cinematic dive off Damavand Peak as teammates and helicopters plummet beside me, and let me drive over the Caspian Border plains in a tank. And please, bring back Strike at Karkand and Wake Island. It’s been long enough.

Step 2: Fix Battlefield 6’s Glaring Cosmetic Problem

I don’t envy Battlefield Studios when it comes to cosmetics. After promising grounded skins and calling out Call of Duty’s Nicki Minaj collab, the community has been holding the developers to that promise. A skin being too bright a shade of blue and having a pattern on its face mask kicked such a hornet’s nest that it was quietly removed, re-designed, and re-added, looking entirely different. The Battle Pass is full of fairly straightforward and generic mil-sim designs, though that didn’t stop some from still lashing out at the final weapon package for being too gold and reminiscent of Call of Duty. If I’m being honest, though, Battlefield 6’s cosmetics are terribly boring, and I can’t be the only one that feels that way.

While I feel the need to check the shop here and there in games like Marvel Rivals, Overwatch 2, and yes, even Black Ops 7, I don’t even bother to do so in Battlefield 6. And despite being a BF Pro adopter via the Phantom Edition, I don’t even feel like finishing the Season 1 battle pass because nothing in it is that desirable. I’m stopping at 3 out of the 4 paths, losing all my motivation to finish the unlock process despite completing every battle pass in the other games I play. That’s a problem that desperately has to be fixed, as Battlefield 6 needs more interesting skins for players to show off and chase if it wants to justify its live service model.

To be clear, I’m not calling for colorful outfits or anything that would drive immersion-focused Battlefield fans up a wall. However, there are so many ways that Battlefield 6 can do better here. How about a Battle Pass and matching store cosmetics based entirely on Battlefield Vietnam? How about one for BF3 and BF4 looks that aren’t back yet — I miss you dearly, BF3 Recon — since players went back and grinded BF 2042 just for the classic Engineer look, proving interest in such a concept? A Bad Company-themed Battle Pass, a BF1-centric Season of bundles — give Seasonal cosmetics a true identity instead of just throwing things together like in Season 1. Hell, I remember looking forward to a simple all-black skin in BF3, as well as the battle-damaged models from the Endgame expansion pack. Basic skins can be good — the community went wild for some fan-made concepts of soldiers in jeans, for crying out loud — but so far the cosmetics have been too uninspired to care about.

Step 3: Little Changes Can Make a Big Difference

Battlefield 6 has to give players reasons to stick around, and that goes beyond fun cosmetics. For instance, Battlefield’s Easter eggs used to be a defining feature, whether it be the complex Phantom Program or the Paracel Storm Megalodon — I remember the latter blowing my mind when I was younger. Give players a reason to talk and work together to solve fun side quests, and when they do, give them some fun rewards for doing so. Battlefield’s reference-filled achievement list proves BF Studios can have fun, so it would be awesome to see that vibe translate more to the game itself. Remember ascending to the sky in BF5 for a staredown with some Pterodactyls? That kind of viral fun could get some eyes back on BF6, which it absolutely needs right now.

More fun events that don’t clash with Battlefield’s identity would be a boon, too. How about an event focused on the beloved Battlefield Friends webseries, which recently dropped a new episode? I didn’t grind for an icepick melee weapon, but you better believe I’d put in some hours for a Bipod Knife. A Colonel 100 player title, a voice pack that swaps the soldier chatter with the characters from the show (for the user only, before those who hate fun start shouting about immersion) — there’s so much that can be done with this kind of event. EA encouraging similar events with its properties, like Mass Effect, Dead Space, or the underappreciated Titanfall series, would also have players logging in. As of now, the events come and go with weapons and items I have no attachment to, so I don’t bother, but that doesn’t have to be the case.

Lastly, Battlefield 6 could embrace nostalgia a bit more without going overboard. For instance, the weapon leveling system may be the exact same thing as Service Stars from a functionality standpoint, but the reality is that old-school fans miss the look of Service Stars. They make them think of a different time in their life and remind them of when the series was at its peak, and I constantly see people asking for them to come back. And honestly? I want to see them again, too. Adding these back, alongside ribbons that pop up at the top of the screen and make players feel like they’re always contributing to the fight, would be small quality of life changes that would have a huge impact. On paper, they may seem like a waste of effort and resources compared to maps and modes, but in actuality, they’d make moment-to-moment gameplay so much more satisfying.

…and One Other Big Addition Wouldn’t Hurt

Image via EA

And as far as modes are concerned, while I’m all for BF Studios continuing to experiment, it should put that on hold for a bit to bring back the best part of BF1 and BF5: Operations. Given the Theaters or War approach, with multiple maps in the same setting, it’s a natural fit for BF6. Longer matches that shift objectives and scenery suit the Battlefield name perfectly, and if players went from Manhattan Bridge to Empire State to a third location, they could feel like a proper war has taken place. And if Battlefield 6 were to start introducing bigger maps that could be paired with its existing ones, an Operations session would only feel more varied.

Battlefield 6 Can and Should Recover, But Fans Have to Give It a Chance to Do So

You’ll notice that the 3-Step plan above ignores Battlefield RedSec, and that’s intentional. In reality, the series’ second try at a battle royale has come and gone without much of an impact, and the community deciding it was the devil didn’t help its chances. Yes, it launched in an era where the battle royale genre is oversaturated, and it lacks unique elements outside its fiery storms that would really push people to keep playing, but BF6 fans pre-hating the mode in fears it would become another Warzone sealed its fate. It won’t matter if RedSec miraculously recovers or fully dies off, though, as a different team handles its development — something players maybe should have considered before tearing it apart just for existing.

This isn’t to say that RedSec’s launch was perfect — the battle pass challenges tied to it were a poor attempt to boost its initial player count — but I do think it’s an important lesson for the Battlefield community nonetheless. Battlefield fans can be extremely harsh, whether they’re lashing out over Portal’s server browser not perfectly lining up with the old style or having nonsensical, immature complaints about female soldiers. Little praise has been shown for what BF6 does well, as users online harp on the same problem. If that keeps happening, BF Studios will likely start to tone them out, losing the quality feedback that gets lost in all the blind hate.

Image via EA

Games like No Man’s Sky, Final Fantasy 14, and Fallout 76 had tremendous recoveries, sure, but they also had passionate communities that wanted to see them thrive. A lot of the time, it feels like Battlefield fans want BF6 to fail, and that’s not going to work if it’s ever going to have a comeback. For BF6 to recover, BF Studios has to put in the work. It has to bring back classic maps and modes while releasing new ones that stick, deliver better events and cosmetics, and listen to requests for QoL features like ribbons. However, if and when these changes happen, players need to celebrate them, not continue complaining about open playlists that are clearly here to stay or the mere existence of a battle royale. If I were a new player looking to purchase BF6 in 2026, I’d see all the negative discourse and assume it’s a bad game, which simply isn’t the case. So while BF Studios can improve things, the community can also do its part, highlighting the fun it’s having instead of repeating the same exact criticism ad nauseam. If that happens, and some version of the 3-Step Plan above is followed, then BF6 will have a long life ahead of it.

Released

October 10, 2025

ESRB

Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, In-App Purchases, Users Interact

Developer(s)

Battlefield Studios