EA is set to bring a new battle royale as part of the upcoming Battlefield game, so here’s everything we know thanks to leaks.
Firestorm was Battlefield’s last attempt at a battle royale, arriving as a mode for the $60 Battlefield V in March 2019. Despite a warm reception, it came up against free-to-play titles like Fortnite and Apex Legends, so it never hit the mainstream or managed to maintain a dedicated player base.
Then, Battlefield 2042 tried to get into the extraction shooter genre with Hazard Zone, but again, it never found a player base, and DICE ended its support after only a few months.
Now, thanks to the ongoing Battlefield Labs playtests and insiders, tons of details about the in-development battle royale mode coming alongside ‘Battlefield 6’ have leaked.
Battlefield battle royale leaks
While the battle royale mode isn’t playable in the Battlefield Labs playtest, dataminer ‘temporyal’ has found several details in the files.
Bear in mind that all of these leaks are from the game files of a pre-alpha version – many of these features could be changed or even scrapped during the development process.
This includes a description:
“Drop into the combat zone and prepare for hostile contact. Loot weapons, gadgets, and call-ins for tactical advantage. Complete missions, secure intel and custom weapon drops, and stay ahead of the collapsing NXC flamefront. Be the last squad standing to win.”
You might already notice some similarities to Warzone there.
Missions
Missions appear to be Battlefield’s answer to Warzone’s contracts, but there are some differences.
Here, you’ll “choose a mission from the map for the chance to earn rewards like combat vehicle access keycards, custom weapon drops, and more.”
But one key difference is that enemy players can counter your contract. “When a nearby enemy squad starts a mission, you may be given the chance to stop them and steal their rewards,” reads the in-game description.
Here’s what might pop up:
- Watch out! Another Team is countering your squad’s Marked Mission. They will try to eliminate [Marked PlayerName]
- Watch out! Another Team is countering your squad’s High Value Assets Mission. They will try to calibrate your beacons
- Watch out! Another Team is countering your Demolition Crew Mission. They will try to stop you or defuse the bomb
Custom Weapon Drops
Similar to Warzone’s Loadout Drops, Battlefield’s battle royale has “Custom Weapon Drops.”
Found around the map or “earned as a rare reward for completing missions,” these “airdropped support packages” contain your “customized weapons.”
You’ll only be able to grab one weapon at a time, so you’ll need to find another to get one more custom weapon.
Field Upgrades
Field Upgrades in Battlefield 6’s battle royale work similarly to how they did in Battlefield 4, unlocking new abilities for your class by “completing missions, getting kills, looting and finding intel drives.”
Respawning
Like most battle royale games nowadays, being dead doesn’t necessarily mean you’re out of the game.
If you die early in the game, you’ll get one free redeployment. However, if your free redeployment is spent or it’s later in the game, your team can get you back through a Redeploy Point.
These can be found as “rare loot and as a reward for completing missions.” If another team has activated one to get their teammate back, you can contest it to pause the activation progress.
Oversight System
Instead of simply spectating when you’re dead, you can use the Oversight System to control remote cameras, drones, or turrets.
Any dead player can use a camera, but your teammate will need to capture an Oversight Terminal for you to use a drone or turret.
Looting
You can loot chests, vehicles, and dead players for weapons, equipment, and armor.
There are Class Chests, which “contain loot tailored to your chosen class,” and Rare Chests, which have “upgraded weapons, call-ins, and XSAPI plate carriers.” These plate carriers double the amount of armor you can carry, similar to an Armor Satchel from Warzone.
Cars can be looted, but “be careful of alarms,” and you pick up enemy ammo and armor plates by simply walking over their body.
Closing Ring
Firestorm’s closing ring of fire returns in Battlefield 6’s battle royale mode, now called the “NXC Flamefront.”
“The ring of burning NXC is never stable,” says the in-game description. “It will constantly collapse until nothing remains. NXC instantly destroys anything it touches. Respect the ring. You’ll start burning if you’re too close to the ring.”
Destruction
We can expect Battlefield’s signature destruction in the battle royale mode, as one of the BR hints says, “Outsmart your opponents with tactical destruction. Every advantage counts.”
We just don’t know how destructible these buildings are. It could range from blowing holes in walls to completely leveling buildings.
Is the Battlefield battle royale free-to-play?
Yes, according to a report from Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson, who accurately leaked many of 2042’s details, Battlefield 6’s battle royale will be free-to-play.
In a February 2024 article, Henderson reported that BF’s battle royale is “currently aimed to be free-to-play and follow a similar strategy to the highly successful Call of Duty: Warzone that will see the free-to-play experience tie in with its premium release.”
Developer
Ripple Effect are developing Battlefield’s battle royale mode, according to the same Insider Gaming report.
Previously called DICE LA, Ripple Effect have been a support studio since Battlefield 4, and developed 2042’s Portal mode (which is set to return in BF6).
It’s “said to be the brainchild of Byron Beede,” a former Call of Duty exec who was part of Warzone and CoD Mobile’s launches.
Concept art
Temporyal found three new pieces of concept art from BF Labs, showing players dropping into the map, a team breaching a building, and players looting a stash.
However, they said to “keep in mind this is based on the pre-alpha BF Labs client, so we’re discussing work-in-progress content — as indicated by the PH/placeholder markings.”
James Gunn confirms Clayface age rating and DC fans should be excited