All Hype, No Substance (So Far)
Hey everyone,
Not trying to be the fun police here, but is anyone else feeling déjà vu with all this Battlefield 6 hype?
Sure, the trailers look impressive, with explosions everywhere, jets doing aerobatics, chaos in spades, and frankly, some great sound design. But once you scratch the surface… what exactly are they showing us that matters?
Because we’ve been burned before (looking at you, 2042), and right now it feels like they’re going big on cinematic flair, but quiet on the stuff that actually keeps a Battlefield game alive.
Where are the Battlefield staples?
Server Browser: One of the most essential features, and still no confirmation. Matchmaking-only kills community building and long-term engagement. I'm not talking about portal mode, I mean a true server browser.
Private Server Hosting: The backbone of BF communities. We need the ability to host and customise games, not rely on whatever matchmaking gives us. Give me private servers, and I'll give you my money, EA.
Commander Mode: The tactical layer that made squad play meaningful in BF2 and BF4. Why does it keep getting left out? Sure, it's not for everyone - but it had its place and was something I enjoyed thoroughly when I felt like flexing my strategy skills.
Open VoIP: Launching without basic team communication (again) would be ridiculous. Open VoIP by default, with the option to opt out, lobbies have gone soft, and as a result, the communication died.
Clans/Platoons: You keep saying "you and your squad". I don't just want to play with my squad, I want to bring the whole platoon. Again, enable community features and players will come.
Destruction: What Are We Getting?
They’re hyping up destruction like it’s brand new tech. But let’s be honest true destruction peaked in Bad Company 2. Entire buildings could collapse, walls could be blown open dynamically, and it was different every time based on what you and your team did. From what’s being reported so far, this new destruction in BF6 is mostly:
- Pre-modelled
- Repetitive
- Looks impressive, but plays predictably
That’s great for visual consistency, sure, but it’s not the same as having unique, unscripted destruction that changes how a round plays out. It looks like we’re getting style over substance again. Give me the kind of chaos where every match feels different, not “press C4 here to open the same wall every time.”
This won't kill the experience, and I understand there are technical hurdles here. But why do I feel like game development has regressed.
DICE, Have You Learned Anything?
2042 launched missing half the features it needed to function. It took over a year to almost fix, and many players never came back. We don’t want a hero shooter. We don’t want more fluff. We want Battlefield to feel like Battlefield again.
- Server browser
- Persistent, private servers
- Commander mode
- Fully dynamic destruction
- Meaningful squad roles
- Proper comms
- Community tools that last longer than launch week
Until we see confirmation of any of this, I’m not buying into the hype. Explosions and trailer music are cool, but we’ve seen what happens when they lead with marketing and forget the core.
I see the streamers and content creators playing what appears to be a polished vertical slice of the game. They're all saying the same things; it's uncanny, as though it were a script to read from.
I remain cautiously optimistic. We've been burned too many times. The gameplay looks good, but if that's all Battlefield 6 brings to the table, what else is there?
What do you reckon — anyone else waiting for real answers?
