Though the Battlefield franchise has a long-term goal of returning to yearly releases, those days are still half a decade away, meaning that Battlefield 6 is poised to have a long lifecycle if all goes well. And based on Battlefield 6’s successful open beta, it certainly does seem possible for things to go swimmingly for the title. Its immersive destruction has been praised, the return of a modern setting and proper classes check two big boxes for fans, and fresh mechanics like BF6’s drag and revive system improve the overall experience. However, the game thriving long-term will come down to a couple of important factors, both of which fans are reasonably concerned about.
Battlefield 6’s Long-Term Goals Will Depend on Good Progression
First and foremost, franchises like Call of Duty have been able to succeed in the realm of live-service gaming because of how much they give players to do. Love or hate CoD, it always has content to grind for beyond its battle passes and across all its modes, including but not limited to:
- Prestige levels
- Calling cards
- Weapon/killstreak/class unlocks
- Hundreds of camos
- CoD Zombies Augments
With Battlefield 6, though the beta only let gamers see the leveling process up until level 20, it was enough of a glimpse to raise questions. First, players currently have no idea how many total ranks there will be. Many may be hoping for a classic system like the race to Colonel 100, where every rank feels meaningful, but it’s just as likely for something like Battlefield 2042 where there are 999 S-levels and each rank bleeds together. Fumbling the leveling system would be a shame, as Call of Duty’s recent Prestige Rewards system has made it so that there are numerous reasons to keep on ranking up. Additionally, players have pointed out that tying all weapon unlocks to profile levels can make them a bit too easy to earn, whereas letting players unlock new snipers through the consistent use of a previous sniper in the unlock line would reward skill and experience. While Call of Duty’s base weapons are unlocked through profile experience, post-launch there are guns and melee tools acquired via event progress, battle passes, armory challenges, and so on — a level of variety that could be great to see with Battlefield 6.
Alongside an appealing leveling system for Battlefield 6 and varied weapon unlocks, having a range of other content to chase, like special dog tags and weapon packages, will be a must. By keeping Battlefield 6’s skins grounded, Battlefield Studios is already risking a scenario where all the players who enjoy flashier unrealistic skins are not interested in the game’s store bundles or battle passes. As such, it needs to make sure that those who do appreciate the mil-sim focus have plenty of challenges to complete and items to earn at all times, so that they always have something to look forward to. Games like Overwatch 2 struggled for some time to master the art of progression, but once the right balance was found, they began to thrive, and Battlefield 6 will undoubtedly need satisfying leveling and consistent grinds to keep players coming back.
Numerous skins and camo patterns have leaked for Battlefield 6, which hopefully suggests a good amount of unlockable content will be ready to go on day one, assuming all these items aren’t for the in-game store.
Battlefield 6’s Live-Service Success Requires a Healthy Launch
However, Battlefield 6 fans are not only concerned about a satisfying leveling system and plentiful free content to grind for, as Battlefield’s history of messy launches is also well-documented. Whether it was Battlefield 4’s Netcode fiasco or Battlefield 2042’s numerous problems, players are understandably concerned about BF6 being a stable game come October 10. After all, it takes one look at how Battlefield 2042’s disastrous day one state impacted its post-launch content to understand why a game's debut is make or break for a live-service release.
Because Battlefield 2042 debuted in such a rocky state, DICE had to spend months fixing up the game and addressing criticism — time that could have been spent adding more maps, modes, events, and so on. A live-service game’s first few seasons hitting the mark is essential for player retention, as though Battlefield 2042 eventually got on track and started delivering more content, many players had already moved on due to its slow first few months. Yes, Battlefield 6’s beta was fairly stable outside of visual glitches like disappearing weapons, but there will be far more content on day one that has to be similarly polished. With Battlefield’s history of buggy games at launch and early concerns about unsatisfying progression, there is a chance that it fails to be the long-term game that fans and developers alike are seeking. Hopefully, Battlefield Studios has an exciting leveling system prepared alongside numerous rewards, as these things — coupled with a smooth launch — are a necessity.
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
