“Battlefield is back” is an expression I’m uncomfortable with as a lifelong fan of the franchise, because I’ve heard it before, and for much less than Battlefield 6 offers. For all the current hype and glowing previews, Battlefield 6 was never a sure thing, and it still isn’t, as the modern gamer likely knows. Anything can happen when a corporate AAA title, backed by a publisher once ranked the worst company in the world, finds the world is not enough. I hope that preface means something when I write that after some hands-on time with Battlefield 6’s reimagined Operation Firestorm, I’ve felt something I haven’t in a long time, and yes, I’m thinking Battlefield might be back.
I know it’s a marketing tool, but my first actual “Battlefield moment” mattered to me: I was only nine, I’d just met my new niece for the first time, and Battlefield 3 wouldn’t be out for another eight-or-so months. The moment arrived when I sniped two people in a row on Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam, but the meaningful feeling came after, when I got counter-sniped by someone I couldn’t see. I was committed to revenge, but more determined than I’d ever been to beat this random player and prove I was better. Battlefield 6’s Operation Firestorm made me feel that way again, and while the experience was a bit embarrassing, it’s precisely why this time around, I’m all in.
Operation Firestorm Feels Right at Home in Battlefield 6
The remake of Operation Firestorm is genuinely sharper, louder, and more chaotic. The map’s fully updated with destructibility in mind, and it’s had some fat trimmed around its edges, too. It looks fantastic, it sounds even better, and though it’s always looked great, the remake fits right in with Battlefield 6’s new and improved movement. I played a ton of the beta, but misreading a firefight felt more consequential than ever here, and as a fan of tactical shooters, I was extremely into it.
Players who took issue with the twitchiness made possible by the movement system in the Battlefield 6 beta will be happy to know that aim and momentum changes have effectively done away with jumpshotting, slide boosting, and other unrealistic movement techniques.
When our first match on Operation Firestorm began, I thought I knew what I was in for, especially considering it was Conquest, and we had spawned on the side closest to the refinery. I planned to stick to the map’s left edge and snipe anyone silly enough to play king-of-the-hill with the central tower, but the moment the firefights started up ahead in the main capture zones, I developed a fear of missing out. Even from range, I could see that Battlefield 6’s improved destructibility changed things.
Even as a Legacy Map, Operation Firestorm Fit in Perfectly With Battlefield 6’s Improved Destructibility
I spent the rest of that Conquest match as either an Assault or an Engineer because entire sections of cover were being destroyed and transformed, and I wanted to be a part of it. This destruction was the new normal for this rendition of Operation Firestorm, and I quickly realized I’d have to adapt. I’d come to appreciate the chaos even more in Battlefield 6's Breakthrough mode, where players are either pushing or holding two key points at a time.
Breakthrough on Operation Firestorm and Battlefield 6’s new Mirak Valley map cemented it as the game type I’m most looking forward to, because it left me no time to breathe. I’d set up a spawn beacon for my squad right on the spawn boundary, so every peak or advance meant a gunfight within seconds of deployment. It was exhilarating, and it was exhausting, but in the best possible way.
A Sniper Duel With a Battlefield 6 Developer Was My Operation Firestorm Highlight
Nothing had me fighting my inner demons more than our third game on Firestorm, though, playing Escalation. The mode was my least favorite of the three we experienced, but it took some of the pressure off and allowed me to dive headfirst into an unspoken (and likely one-sided) sniper duel with one of Battlefield 6’s developers. I intended to support my team through what would likely be a crushing loss, but quickly I found a rivalry that transported me back to 2011.
Instead of Conquest’s usual five control points, Battlefield 6’s Escalation mode has seven, and a team fills a meter by holding the most zones to score a point. The first to three points wins.
Admittedly, the dev landed the first blow, but stubborn as an ox, I returned to the same spot for my revenge. It was sweet, but fleeting, and seconds later, I was once again counter-sniped. Minutes slipped by, and suddenly I wasn’t playing for my team or for the win, but to prove I could outshoot him. It felt like I was a kid again, ignoring the scoreboard in favor of a petty one-on-one feud. It may have brought out some of the worst in me, but honestly, it felt glorious.
The brilliance of that moment is that it isn’t scripted or designed; instead, it’s emergent gameplay, the kind of thing Battlefield used to generate all the time. For a time, the objective didn’t matter, and I wasn’t thinking about tickets or control points. I was thinking about that EA username, perched somewhere across the map, waiting for me as I was waiting for them. It was competitive, but we were building some kind of rapport, and that sense of shared chaos reminded me why I fell in love with the best of Battlefield's gameplay in the first place.
I didn’t keep count of our kills. I don’t feel I need to these days, but I won’t pretend it didn’t feel good to play for pride.
Communal Chaos Is What Battlefield Should Do Best
Battlefield has always branded itself as the big, sprawling, cinematic shooter where anything can happen. Still, that promise only works when players feel connected to the game, and through it, one another. As I’m relearning, that doesn’t always mean playing as a team. Battlefield 6 reminded me how natural those connections can be, and that communal energy is what convinces me that maybe, just maybe, “Battlefield is back” is more than just talk this time.
After the gameplay session, I couldn’t stop thinking about my time with Battlefield 6’s Operation Firestorm. I rediscovered a childish competitive streak, one that insisted I show this other player my capability. I think that competitive spirit is what made Battlefield 6 feel alive, and if the rest of the game can deliver moments like this, I'll be there day one.
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
WHERE TO PLAY
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Franchise
- Battlefield
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unsupported
- PC Release Date
- October 10, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- October 10, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- October 10, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
