Fans of the Battlefield series have been through a rough number of years. Games like Battlefield 2042 failed to keep the spark of excitement alive with post-release content and updates to the online multiplayer across all platforms. To say that fans have been starving for a brand-new Battlefield experience would be a big understatement. But luckily for everyone, the arrival of Battlefield 6 on multiple platforms is not that far off. In preparation for it, developers at Battlefield Studios had an open beta where players on every platform could get a taste of what the game would be like before it officially released. Much to the delight of everyone, the open beta revealed a lot of interesting things that are happening for Battlefield 6 that have everyone feeling optimistic about its release.

On the second weekend of the open beta going live, I had the chance to really dive into the online matches of Battlefield 6 on PlayStation 5. Although the beta was also available for Xbox Series X/S and PC, everyone was getting the same experience across all platforms. But that didn't keep me from playing with others on different platforms, since the beta had cross-play functionality, opening everything to a larger pool of players for the big skirmishes that the Battlefield series is known for. And after days of dropping into matches and trying out everything the beta had to offer, I feel like I have a lot of good and bad things to think about before the final release. Here are my impressions of the Battlefield 6 open beta that have me looking forward to what will be arriving in October 2025.

Feeling different when spawning in

Greater emphasis on the right things

One of the biggest things that I and many players immediately noticed when dropping into Battlefield 6 online for the first time is how different it feels to play than Battlefield 2042. There's a sense of greater emphasis on keeping things focused on working as a team, as opposed to trying to be a lone wolf with some impact. Although the Battlefield series has always leaned towards this more often than other military shooters like the Call of Duty series, some people have felt a slight shift in the opposite direction with the last few releases. It's something that many players felt was a massive problem in most online matches of Battlefield 2042, where crazy moments involving vehicles would be the product of people just trying to do whatever they wanted alone, not solely to complete objectives or work as a unit. Dropping into one of the three maps in the open beta of Battlefield 6 and getting into firefights immediately makes it clear that this time, things aren't going to feel like that at all.

At the same time, the open beta of Battlefield 6 doesn't shy away from pushing players to assist teammates often. Whether that means reviving downed allies or giving them an extra boost of ammo and health recovery, being there for your teammates on the battlefield is a necessity, and can make a huge difference in the outcome of matches. Taking the time to be around allies and doubling up on enemies at key points can give a necessary boost to the team and push matches into your favor. Often, I would find myself sticking around teammates and watching their backs or capturing points together, as opposed to breaking off to find a spot for myself. I would more often get into firefights with allies around me, which didn't always end in our favor, but were still dynamic and often gave me a fighting chance in most encounters.

This same thing can be said for vehicles on maps in the open beta. Tanks and fighter jets are still incredibly powerful and useful tools, but they're not the end-all solution. Running into an enemy tank doesn't automatically equal death or loss of a location, especially when others could have a handy RPG on them to fight back. Even if I wasn't the driver of a tank or jeep, I would still jump into the passenger or gunner sections to offer help, which was always a smart idea. Most vehicles in the beta worked as better units when people actively sought to be on board, whether they were manning a turret or just hitching a ride to jump out onto a location. Capturing points like this in larger maps always had multiple players jumping out of vehicles to capture points, not just others spawning on players when they were eliminated beforehand.

On classes and maps

The pros and cons of combat

Battlefield 6 puts a stronger focus on classes for players to pick from, encouraging them to take a role on the battlefield with their loadouts. And while there is an element of customization with the weapons and equipment one can bring with them, you're still going to need to play the role you pick. This is the aspect that people love about the Battlefield games that differentiates them from other shooters. And the open beta shows just how important it is to play the part and help the team while getting into a match. Online, it can be an issue with players not doing things that fit their role or help the team, such as reviving players that are down and giving ammo or health boosts to others. Results can definitely vary depending on the matches and the players one gets paired up with.

There are four classes in the Battlefield 6 open beta: Assault, Engineer, Support, and Recon. Each class has its own specific weapon and tools that give it a role that is key to winning matches. Engineer and Support classes are primarily concerned with helping allies in different ways, while Assault and Recon have their focus on incoming enemies. I jumped between the different classes to get a feel of how each can play on the maps within the open beta, and they all have a lot of pros and cons that are heavily dependent on the type of player you are. I often found myself sticking with Assault and Engineer more often in matches where I could do more damage to the enemy team on foot or in vehicles, but I would occasionally pick both Support and Recon when I wanted to try something different.

However, a lot of the weapon balancing between all the classes needs to be tinkered with. Some weapons have clear advantages in most situations over others, with the amount of damage being somewhat inconsistent in most matches I played. The shotgun for the Assault class is heavily overpowered, allowing it to decimate anyone with bullets from a very far distance. There were a number of matches where I was on the receiving end of it with little to no answer to get around it. The shotgun can take people out from far away when they have no idea someone is around.

Other weapons like the submachine gun are definitely stronger than they appear, but may only require slight tweaks for balance. It's nowhere near as bad as a shotgun can be in the open beta. It's just that much better of an option in most firefights, and can be incredibly annoying to deal with when so many people on a map are using them. It's something that needs to be changed, and most likely will be by the time the game is fully released.

Speaking of maps, the three maps that were available to play in the open beta are solid locations. In the different game modes that were open to join (Conquest, Breakthrough, Squad TDM, and Domination), the maps were pretty good to play on. Some of them are definitely favorable to some classes over others, but the majority of the time, I did not feel that most problems in matches were due to the map design. Buildings had a ton of destructible elements to them, which could change the dynamics of how players fought each other and maneuvered around the map. Seeing enemies hiding in a small building could be a problem, until you realize a well-placed rocket or grenade throw could open up walls and leave them totally exposed. Having a teammate with a nearby tank to do the same thing also helps a ton. But even in wider areas where Recon snipers can take a stand over great distances, the maps never felt like they were poorly designed or heavily favored one side over the other.

Problems that need fixing

Standout issues that need to be addressed

And yet, for everything I could praise about what was in the Battlefield 6 open beta, it revealed a number of major problems that need to be addressed by the developers as soon as possible. Balancing the weapons is one aspect of this, which will solve many issues in matches that feel one-sided. But the bigger issues in some matches come from those who actively cheat in matches, especially when playing on PC platforms against others on consoles. Although there is an anti-cheat that is part of Battlefield 6 to prevent players from taking advantage of others, the open beta still had a number of people online doing things that were out of bounds for everyone. Balance changes and map tweaks can be annoying for everyone, but being on the receiving end of someone cheating in a match is an instant vibe killer.

In some of my matches, I did experience a few questionable things that made me wonder if I was paired with players who were cheating, but nothing was ever definitive for me. But the number of videos shared online of players using aimbot tools and other kinds of cheats to decimate opponents online had me, and many other people, wondering about it. This is something that Battlefield Studios needs to get a handle on; otherwise, it could become a bigger problem than it is now. Other shooters have suffered from similar problems, but they also didn't put in a big enough effort to combat the rise of cheaters on their servers. If Battlefield 6 is to have a solid launch with people playing online, then the developers will need to find ways to approach anti-cheat software and other tactics to make sure that cheaters on any platform don't ruin the experience for others.

Looking forward to Battlefield 6

Despite my critical look at the open beta, my experience on PlayStation 5 has me feeling optimistic about Battlefield 6 as a whole. The developers are clearly listening to the overwhelming feedback of players who had many thoughts about the previous game, and it shows in how the Battlefield 6 open beta turned out for everyone. Many fans are going to be happy to see the shift in priorities for how multiplayer matches unfold, as well as the different tools that players will utilize in battle with each of the different classes. I can definitely see myself diving back into Battlefield 6 and squadding up with others when the full game arrives in October 2025. Jumping into many more online matches with others sounds like it's going to be a lot more fun this time around.