EAEA is bringing battle royale as part of Battlefield 6, so here’s everything we know, including official details and 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.
At the very end of the Battlefield 6 reveal, a “new Battlefield experience” was teased, showing a closing ring of fire, and it’s now been confirmed as a battle royale.
EAOfficial details
Battlefield’s battle royale will feature “the core Battlefield pillars of class-based squadplay, tactical destruction, and vehicle combat.” While it’s still a classic BR experience, it has everything you’d expect from a BF game, such as “gadgets, explosives, destructible environments, and vehicles.”
Map
The mode comes with a brand-new map custom-built for battle royale. The devs said it “features a diverse array of tactical Points of Interest, each with distinct layouts and themes that offer unique gameplay opportunities.”
Vehicles
The map will have both common transport vehicles to get around the map and “powerful armored vehicles” that you can unlock. The idea is to “offer more ways for players to traverse the map early on in a match and to create interesting combined arms action in the process.”
Destruction
As it’s a Battlefield game, “destruction will be everywhere in this mode.” They said you can create pathways through walls and topple buildings, so expect a ton of variety from match to match.
Related
Squadplay
Squadplay is important in any battle royale, and this one will feature Battlefield’s signature squad system, where you can choose between the four classes. The Labs playtest will have 100 players split into 25 squads of four, and the last team standing wins. You can communicate with squad members through pings, text, or VOIP.
Redeploy mechanic
Like most battle royales nowadays, Battlefield will give you a chance to respawn if you die. The Support class can revive, and there are also “Mobile Redeploy options.”
Insta-kill circle
Other than the vehicles and destruction, the insta-kill circle is set to make the battle royale stand out, as touching the closing ring of fire will instantly kill you. “There’s no jumping in and out of it, no using it for cover, no walking through it – if you get caught in it, you are done,” explained the devs.
Classes
As previously mentioned, battle royale will feature the four Battlefield 6 classes. You pick one at the start of the game, and you’re locked in for that match.
Each class starts with two default gadgets, and then as XP is earned throughout the match, they’ll unlock new traits, such as the Assault class being able to equip armor plates faster.
Missions & Intel Cases
You’ll be able to complete missions throughout the match to earn rewards to give you a competitive edge and extra XP for your class. The devs said, “Tasks range from unlocking high-value caches to planting explosives to eliminate mission-critical targets,” and you’ll get rewards such as weapons caches, vehicle keys, or Mobile Redeploy units.
You can also find Intel Cases that provide XP for everyone in the squad around the map.
Weapons & gadgets
As you loot the map and complete missions, you’ll find five tiers of weapons, alongside attachments, throwables (e.g, Grenades), gadgets (e.g, RPGs), Strike Packages (e.g, Air Strikes), armor, upgrade kits, and favorite weapons.”
You’ll get them through loot crates, class crates, armored trucks, mission rewards, and dead enemies.
Battlefield battle royale leaks
Head of the Battlefield Labs playtest, dataminer ‘temporyal’ 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.
Map
The map is reportedly set on the coast of Southern California at a fictional base called Fort Lindon and the nearby seaside town.
Here are a few of the POIs:
- Downtown
- C-17 Cash Site
- Marina
- Golf Club
- Tech Campus
- Area 22B
- Military Storage
temporyal used game files to create a mock-up of what the map looks like, giving fans who are anxiously awaiting more news something to go off of.
Unfortunately, at the time of writing, this map and all other leaks have been completely removed by EA due to copyright strikes. This is a double-edged sword, considering that the leaks must have been pretty spot-on if they’ve been taken down.
You can read up on the details of that map here.
Missions
Although not mentioned in the official post, the game files say 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.
Strike Packages
The official post mentioned Strike Packages such as Air Strikes, and temporyal revealed all those included in the game files:
- Airstrike (F16)
- Anti Vehicle Crate (Javelin)
- Artillery Strike
- Redeploy Unit
- UAV Overwatch
- Smokescreen
- Resupply Drop
- Custom Weapon Drop
Default gadgets
The default gadgets available in the battle royale are:
- Assault: Ladder & M320 HE
- Engineer: AT4 & Repair Tool
- Recon: Drone & T-UGS
- Support: Supply Crate & M320 Smoke
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.”
Some examples from temporyal:
- Assault: M320 HE explosion generates multiple fused submunitions
- Recon: Drone can self-destruct & drop an explosive shell
- Support: M320 smoke speeds up revival, slows bleedout, and improves health regen
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.
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, as confirmed by the devs who presented the new Battlefield mode.
Previously called DICE LA, Ripple Effect have been a support studio since Battlefield 4, and developed 2042’s Portal mode (which returns 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.
We don’t know when the battle royalee will arrive, seeing as BF6 has its own October 10 release date. 2025 is another year where Battlefield goes up against Call of Duty, so you can also check out everything we know about Black Ops 7.