DICE has announced another set of maps ahead of the October release of Battlefield 6, one of which might be an instant classic. At a recent preview event The Best War Games took part in, players were able to get hands-on experience with two maps, Mirak Valley and an all-new remake of classic Battlefield map Operation Firestorm. Despite being revealed alongside an all-time great map, Battlefield 6’s Mirak Valley might’ve come away as the highlight of the event, especially when considering how it feels like a refined version of Battlefield 4’s Hainan Resort.
Admittedly, Mirak Valley and Battlefield 4’s Hainan Resort don’t share many similarities on the surface. Where Hainan Resort was a boat-heavy tropical paradise, Mirak Valley is a much more rural landscape, designed intentionally to appeal to tank-on-tank combat. That said, what ties them together is their gameplay loop, as both are primarily designed around big team modes like Battlefield's signature Conquest mode, but each also contains sections for smaller modes such as Squad Deathmatch.
Battlefield 6’s Mirak Valley and Battlefield 4’s Hainan Resort Are Two Sides of the Same Coin
The core of Hainan Resort was a single, massive hotel, with elevators for roof access and a dominant position overlooking the entire map. Being the sole structure in the map’s skyline, it was naturally a heated arena for infantry players; snipers and support gunners would rush the roof en masse, and the chaos found above was also found in equal measure on the main floor of the resort. It was fun, but hectic, and aside from the pretty locale and demolishing the building in one of Battlefield 4’s staple levolutions, there wasn’t much to write home about.
Tajikistan is also the setting of the map Liberation Peak, which players might’ve experienced in the Battlefield 6 beta. Liberation Peak was a smaller section of a snowy mountain range; however, Mirak Valley is a large-scale map with a greater focus on both land and air vehicles.
By contrast, Mirak Valley is set in the rolling hills and farmlands of Tajikistan, a massive war-torn landscape that'll likely play a big role in Battlefield 6's campaign mode. Most of what remains standing is found within the map’s center: a set of abandoned construction sites. Two villages lay on either end of the site — one devastated and the other untouched — but the staggering structures in the mid-map stand like beacons for infantry players. For all of its differences, such as waterways and boat channels, the core of each map is where the similarities (and improvements) to Hainan Resort really become noticeable.
Mirak Valley’s Subtle Changes Improve Hainan Resort’s Design In a Big Way
Mirak Valley improves on Hainan Resort’s infantry inward, vehicle outward design in multiple, subtle ways. First, the central combat zone has been separated into two buildings. Despite their proximity, a suspiciously precarious crane stands tall in between the two, acting as the actual highest point on the map, and a meaningful distraction for those engaged in gunfights across rooftops.
Despite being confirmed as one of Battlefield 6’s largest maps, it also contains two bespoke combat zones, built to support other, more infantry-focused game modes.
Additionally, roof access isn’t locked behind elevators, which does away with what was an extremely one-sided choke point, often insurmountable when players on Hainan Resort found themselves up against capable defenders. The crane also acts as an option for elevation-deficient players to even the odds with those who might rain bullets down on them. With enough conviction and explosive ordinance, players can send it crashing into the building next to it in a sort of mini-levolution, with Battlefield 6's improved destruction mechanics demolishing a significant chunk of it and creating a maze of debris to cover the alley between the structures.
Mirak Valley is One of Battlefield 6's Best Maps So Far
While the change in design in this comparison boils down to two buildings instead of one, and a crane to destroy instead of a hotel, it’s difficult to describe how meaningful it plays out in gameplay. Hainan Resort becomes instantly less fun if you destroy the hotel. The elevator chokepoints were novel for a time, but they ended up being a factor holding the map back from being one of Battlefield’s greatest maps. Additionally, the lack of breathing room in the main structure is remedied by Mirak Valley’s separate structures, resulting in infantry combat that still feels chaotic, but not nearly as suffocating.
The reception to the map from players at the preview event was almost entirely positive, a sign made all the more meaningful by the fact that players tested the map in three separate game types: Conquest, Breakthrough, and the newly revealed Escalation mode. Even in segmented skirmish modes like Battlefield 6's new Breakthrough mode, the map had a distinct flow and a balanced, well-rounded design. If Mirak Valley’s quality is any indication of the maps that remain to be seen, Battlefield 6 has the opportunity to bring the franchise back in a big way.
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
