Battlefield 5 and Battlefield 2042 did not meet expectations, but EA isn't giving up on the famous FPS franchise. With Battlefield 6, developers want to steer clear of the problems that plagued previous titles. After giving details about the game in September, EA suggested that playtests would have a major influence on its development. Now, MP1st is reporting that a closed Battlefield 6 playtest could begin as soon as next week.
According to MP1st, participants are being asked to sign NDAs. YouTuber DANNYonPC also claims another content creator deleted a tweet about the impending Battlefield 6 playtest. The first phase will likely be limited, and it may be quite some time before more gamers are invited for another round.
Gamers have ample reason to be skeptical about Battlefield 6. Battlefield 2024, released in 2021, was immediately criticized for bugs and unbalanced weapons. Its predecessor, Battlefield 5, received heat for poorly designed maps and historically inaccurate WWII depictions. Battlefield 6 will see a return to the modern-day setting of the series' most successful releases.
Battlefield 2042 launched with 128-player multiplayer, which caused headaches for EA and competitors. The action was overly chaotic, and features like destructible environments had to be sacrificed. While the next Battlefield will limit maps to 64 participants, that's still enough to cause choppy performance. With a closed Battlefield playtest, developer Dice aims to recognize and iron out any problems at an early stage.
Even with few confirmed details, the Battlefield 6 release date is expected in 2025. The rumored playtest could be the first step in the community-based testing program described by Respawn Entertainment's Vince Zampella.