More important details regarding Battlefield 6 are surfacing every day, with fans starting to gain a fairly complete overview of what the game will offer when it launches in October. A new wave of excitement is currently surrounding the project thanks to its upcoming open beta, which will seemingly introduce an absolutely massive number of players to the game. Early access for the game's beta starts on August 7, with the first full open beta weekend starting on August 9.
Battlefield 6 has largely been praised for the way that it has focused on re-creating the core themes and gameplay offerings of past games, specifically from fan-favorite titles like Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4. This renewed focus on tradition has been verified by many players throughout the BF Labs waves of playtesting, though there are some mechanics that are a bit more divisive. It was recently confirmed that AI bots will fill empty player slots in core Battlefield 6 gameplay, for example, though this should not be as invasive or commonplace as some fans may be worrying.
Bots in Battlefield 6 Will Always Be a Last Resort
In a recent statement, DICE commented on the presence of bot-controlled players in the core modes and playlists of Battlefield 6. This statement confirmed that AI-controlled bots will be used to fill particularly empty servers, with human players then getting immediate priority to replace these bots when joining a match. In theory, this will eliminate the concept of empty lobbies, which is arguably more necessary in the massive maps of Battlefield titles, though it is clear to see why some fans might be concerned with this news.
Battlefield's second and last open beta weekend will occur between August 14 and August 17, giving players plenty of opportunity to check out the game before its full release on October 10.
The concept of bot-filled lobbies is a growing cause for disappointment across the gaming industry, though the AI presence in Battlefield 6 should be nowhere near as widespread and obvious as other games like Fortnite. For one, these bots should be quickly replaced by real players whenever they may appear, with the massive hype surrounding BF6 being another factor that should significantly reduce players even seeing bots on a regular basis.
There are already player queues as high as 30,000 for the Battlefield 6 beta before the event has even launched, being indicative of the massive hype that surrounds the upcoming project. If Battlefield 6 ends up being as consistently popular as it is projected to be, then empty servers that require bots should be a pretty rare sight for quite a long time. It is also worth noting that this same bot system was in place for Battlefield 2042, meaning this is not a decision that has come out of left field for the franchise.
Battlefield 6's Bots Are Likely to be Less Noticeable Than What Was Seen in Battlefield 2042
While not the most pressing issue in Battlefield 2042, its use of bots to fill some servers did come with some warranted criticisms. Specifically, some players felt that the programming of these bots was subpar, with more complex gameplay factors like vehicle combat and objective-based play being much more difficult with bots present on a team. While not confirmed by DICE, it can only be assumed that this programming has been refined and improved since 2021. The other issue is impossible to fix, though, and that is simply how unsatisfying it is to eliminate a bot instead of an actual player.
It is understandable for some players to be apprehensive over the presence of bots as last-resort server fillers, though there are several mitigating factors that bode well for this specific mechanic. The likely popularity of Battlefield 6 should mean that most servers are filled to the brim. Bots should simply act as placeholder teammates or opposition to keep both sides balanced and the flow of gameplay moving in the potential downtime between human players leaving and joining a given game.
Battlefield 6
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 90%
- Released
- October 10, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, In-App Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Battlefield Studios
- Publisher(s)
- EA
