When it comes to Battlefield 6 and other games in the FPS franchise, I’m aware that I’m a bit of an anomaly. I adore sniping, as there are few things I find more satisfying than the crack of a rifle and the headshot noise that follows. However, one of the few things I happen to prioritize more than a standout sniping match is winning games, which is a feeling that doesn’t go away when I play Recon. After all, what good is a deathless round or a big streak of headshots if I see the word “Defeat” covering my screen at the end of a match? So when the time comes for me to put away my rifle and pull out my trusty M45A1, or rush after one of Battlefield 6’s vehicles with C-4 in hand, you better believe I’m doing it.
Is it easier to play any of the other classes when trying to win a Battlefield 6 match? Sure it is. You can top the scoreboard and keep team fights going for ages by spamming smoke grenades and defib revives as a Support. As an Engineer, you can ensure a good pilot or driver dominates the match by ensuring their armor of choice is in tip-top shape. And as an Assault, you can get the team into some neat vantage points via the Assault Ladder or create flanking opportunities with the Deploy Beacon. However, just because it takes a bit more effort to contribute as a Recon doesn’t mean the class is weak, or selfish, or useless. I’ve genuinely felt as if I’ve had the biggest impact on matches whenever I play Recon, as someone with 80+ hours of game time (and thousands in the franchise). To understand why I’ve made it my mission to change the way other players perceive this class, it’s worth looking at where my gameplay style originated.
While the original Bad Company was my first Battlefield game, I didn't get attached to a specific class until later on.
How My Battlefield 3 Experience Made Me a Recon For Life
One of my fondest video game memories happened in Battlefield 3, and it’s a moment I’ve been desperate to recreate whenever a new Battlefield releases, to no avail. Through games like Killzone 2 and the original Black Ops, I had bonded with a fellow high schooler who eventually went on to become my best friend. By the time Battlefield 3 came around, we were a proper dynamic duo. He always had me outmatched in terms of raw skill, so I’d leave him to top the scoreboard while I went all-in on playing the objective. Rush was our game mode of choice, so while he was off being the best slayer he could be, I was arming, disarming, or watching M-COMs to secure us the win. Realistically, I didn’t have the ideal loadout for doing this, as I was a proper Recon main—something that has carried over to the latest entry in the series, as I often have to rely on Battlefield 6’s sidearms just as I leaned on the M1911 in BF3.
During one of our many Rush matches, we had our very own “Only in Battlefield” moment. It wasn’t one of the flashy Rendezooks or wild flanks that tend to spread across the internet, but to us, it was special. Longtime Battlefield players and Battlefield 6 newcomers alike will undoubtedly be familiar with the long-distance sniper battles that take place between the attackers on Operation Firestorm’s sandy mountain and the defenders atop the massive tower in the Defenders’ starting area. I had spotted two snipers lying prone in the sand before they got a look at me, and my friend, being the ridiculously good player he was, had been hopping in and out of the out-of-bounds area to kill the opposing team as they left spawn. Instead of me trying to take both snipers on, we saw a golden opportunity to make magic happen.
After spotting the two unaware snipers that were on the edge of the map boundaries, my friend told me to line up a headshot on the left target, and I happily obliged. He then counted down from 3 as he ran toward the enemies (and out of the map), getting directly behind the right-hand target and initiating a melee takedown to steal their dog tags. As soon as he said “go,” I took the shot, dropping the left-hand sniper just as he melee-killed the right one. The timing was truly perfect, with him seeing the other enemy get eliminated while in the finishing move animation, and there was no time for either player to warn their squadmate about what was happening. I’ve seen my share of cool things while playing Battlefield games over the years, whether it be the dives off Damavand Peak or the fights atop Zeppelins in BF1. For me, though, this small-scale team-up may always be my most memorable Battlefield moment, and it’s something that could only happen in Battlefield due to its huge maps and satisfying sniping.
Operation Firestorm was remade for Battlefield 6, and while I haven’t been able to recreate this moment due to the new map boundaries, I have still had plenty of nostalgic sniper duels.
My friend and I had other examples of teamwork in the BF3 days (and a few Battlefields thereafter), like me marking vehicles with a SOFLAM on Noshahr Canals while he destroyed them one by one or him smoking tanks so I had cover to rush them with C4. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to create any more of these memories in a long time, as it’s been 5 years since we properly gamed together. Nowadays, I do much of my gaming with my fiancée, while my friend is extremely busy with his career in the military. Pretty much everyone has to deal with naturally growing apart from people they were close to at some point, but I’ll always cherish those gaming memories as I forge new ones with the love of my life. And it’s those old memories that have shaped me into the most useful Recon player I can be in Battlefield 6, as I’ve tried to open the door for every random teammate to thrive as if they were my former partner in crime.
How Should You Be Playing Recon in Battlefield 6?
With Battlefield 3 used as a primary inspiration for BF6, many of that game’s mechanics and strategies are still in place today. And when looking at my story above, you’ll be able to notice me applying the following “rules” that Recons should adhere to if they want to get the most out of the class, as being a good sniper will only get you so far.
- Spot as many foes as possible. This is easier than ever thanks to the automatic spotting perk of BF6’s Recon class, as players can do a quick scan of the battlefield and mark numerous foes for their team. Players shouldn’t waste their T-UGS device, either, as tossing it on a Conquest flag or Breakthrough point before retreating to a sniper position is beneficial. The Recon Drone shouldn’t be wasted, either, as I’ve had big success marking all the defenders on a point while a vehicle takes them out.
- Play the objective. This Battlefield mantra doesn’t just apply to Assaults, Supports, and Engineers. With so many Open Weapon playlists, if tickets start running low, there’s no reason a Recon can’t toss on a powerful primary like the M4A1 Carbine to capture a point before going back to sniping. Even on Closed Weapon playlists, pulling out a sidearm and rushing the point could give the team that last boost it needs to get the win. Also, don't force sniping when it's not viable. Liberation Peak may be a sniper's paradise, but using a sniper on Siege of Cairo is just asking for trouble.
- Vehicles aren’t someone else’s problem. Too often will I see other Recon players get out of line of sight from a vehicle that’s wreaking havoc on the team and leave their allies to suffer. Recons have two powerful tools to help deal with enemy tanks and IFVs: the Laser Designator and C-4 Explosives. If there are Engineers on the team with lock-on launchers, pulling out the first tool and painting vehicles will be a huge help with getting rid of them. Alternatively, parachuting toward vehicles from sneaky angles and quickly destroying them with C-4 has been something I’ve done for years, and it remains hugely effective most of the time.
- Snipe smartly. Far too often, Battlefield 6 Recons will get themselves embroiled in one-on-one Sniper duels that see them essentially removing themselves from the fight. While countersniping can be useful if the opposing team has a dominant sniper on their side, a Recon should get themselves into a position where they can fire at the objective more often than not. Clicking enemies' heads as they spawn in is fun and all, but clearing out a point so thoroughly that teammates can capture it safely is even better.
- You’re (usually) not alone, so don’t play like it. Admittedly, this is the one point I’m still working on, as it’s easy to go on a streak of headshots or longshots and get a bit of tunnel vision. I’ve failed to notice my fiancée bleeding out just a few meters away from me because of this (which has led to some playful shaming for my mistake), so it’s important to remember to drag and revive squadmates that are close by. Picking up an allied Support could lead to them reviving the team and swaying a fight, while rescuing an Engineer in the squad can see a friendly vehicle saved from destruction.
Battlefield 6’s Recon Haters Are Sleeping on The Class’s True Potential
Realistically, the negativity around Recon stems from two places. The first is people deeming Recons useless after the respawn beacon shifted over to the Assault Class, as it used to be a powerful Recon tool given to the class to help with objective play. However, this ignores how much reconnaissance (what the class is named for) can help and downplays the ever-powerful C-4. The other source of disdain for Recons is something that I honestly feel applies to every class: selfishness.
Don’t get me wrong: though the 5 rules above discourage selfish gameplay, there are plenty of Recons who won’t look twice at the objective or a teammate begging for a revive right next to them. I’ve been left to die by another Recon in my squad plenty of times, and my pleas for fellow Recons to push have regularly fallen on deaf ears. Still, it’s not just Recon that has this issue. For example, while many members of the BF6 Support community will understandably get annoyed when people bleed out instantly, there are tons of Supports pushing people to bleed out because they don’t bother to revive and play the class just to top up their own ammo. Engineers? Some just goof off by going for RPG kills. Assault? For every Assault that uses the Deploy Beacon and Ladder effectively, there are two who only care about having two primary weapons. And don't get me started on the annoying tanks that sit further back than Snipers instead of leading the push.
Ultimately, while the Recon kit and use of snipers lead many to play selfishly, every class suffers from that issue to some extent. Recon shouldn’t be written off because of those players who don’t use it properly, and I personally feel far more selfish playing Assault than I do as a Recon. Come the addition of Battlefield 6’s new meta Sniper in Season 1, which is fast enough to be used mid-range, more Recons could soon be getting into the middle of the fight instead of patrolling the outskirts. From there, they can start making plays themselves instead of leaving it to others. And if they do that, the Battlefield 6 community could come to realize something I’ve known since I was coordinating plays with my best friend back in 2011: Recon can be damn good in the right hands.
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
