With promises of it being one of the biggest projects EA's studios have ever undertaken, and with community testing happening earlier than in previous games, Battlefield 6 is shaping up to be a potential return to form for the series which suffered a reputational knock with its last entry, 2042. Today, the FPS game's developers have revealed some of the shooter's first gameplay details, and they revolve around the Battlefield 6 class system. While the loathed Specialists of 2042 are out (huzzah!) there's one aspect that is, even at this early stage, causing some concern and grumbles among fans.
If you've been out of the loop with Battlefield over the last few years, a quick primer on why 2042's class system was so maligned. In a nutshell, it completely destroyed it. Choosing a more hero shooter-esque Specialists system rather than the traditional, four-role system where you would pick from either the Assault, Engineer, , or Recon classes. This move was so hated that Battlefield 6. However, even after the rework in 2042, you still had the freedom to choose whatever weapons you liked – typically, in previous Battlefields, certain weapon types were locked to each role, such as sniper rifles only being available to Recon players.
So, what's the deal in Battlefield 6? Well, the FPS game is keeping things very similar to how it is in Battlefield 2042 right now. That means that the four traditional classes are returning, but there's still a lot of flexibility when it comes to your loadout.
"We envision the future of Battlefield classes to be a series of interconnected systems and fundamentals that shape your role on the field, while granting you the freedom to customize how you execute that role," a new post reads. "Through Battlefield Labs play sessions, , and data gathering, we aim to strike a balance between defined roles and player choice."
Essentially, you'll be able to run whatever weapon type you want regardless of your class, just as you can in 2042. The same goes for the majority of gadgets and throwables, save for a handful of "Signature Gadgets" that will be locked to each class. However, to still encourage players to stick to the typical behaviors of their roles, there will be Signature weapon categories and traits too.
The Signature weapon system works by giving a class a bonus for using the expected weapon archetype – the example given is that Recon players will "benefit from increased breath-holding duration" if they use a sniper, a buff that other classes won't receive. The Signature traits attempt to also better define each class by "providing ive bonuses tailored to optimize your role on the battlefield. For instance, a Recon player automatically spots enemies while aiming down sights, encouraging the use of weapons that complement this specialization."
However, for a lot of long-time Battlefield fans, this is a disappointing approach. Many want to see a full return to class-locked weapons and gadgets to ensure that the four combat fantasies aren't all blurred together. "Sorry, first big L," says one fan on the Battlefield subreddit, who asks developer DICE to "reconsider." Another describes it as "a huge mistake." Over on X, prominent Battlefield content creator 'Westie' is also voicing his concerns about the class system. "The first major hurdle Battlefield faces… and it's tripped over already," he says.
While I'd be more than happy to see a full switch back to the good old days of class-locked weapons, DICE is at least putting a bit more emphasis on encouraging people to play their roles as the Battlefield gods intended. I understand why hardcore players are upset, but Battlefield 6 is trying to snag an audience that is much bigger and broader than just the Battlefield loyalists. It is a shame though to see the first details about BF6's gameplay be received so divisively.
With the full testing the game as part of the Battlefield Labs program are as unenthusiastic about the class system as some of these vocal players online, we could still see DICE forced into changing its approach.
In the meantime, here are some other epic war games that you can play instead.
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