Battlefield Studios has released the first Battlefield 6 update of the year, and it's available to download right now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, with a whole host of gameplay improvements, adjustments, and fixes. As the developer continues work on Season 2, the January 20 update for Battlefield 6, sadly, does not include any new content. However, it does bring some much-needed changes to both Battlefield 6 and its free-to-play Battle Royale counterpart, Battlefield REDSEC.
Last week, Battlefield Studios announced that it would delay the release of Battlefield 6 Season 2. The major content update was initially scheduled to launch today, January 20, but has now been pushed back to February 17, as the studio says it requires further development and refinement of Season 2 in response to community feedback. Although disappointing for players, the community isn't being left without, as the January 20 Battlefield 6 update will officially extend Season 1 with new weekly challenges, an additional Bonus Path, and a continuation of the current Battle Pass.
As a Longtime Battlefield Fan, BF6 Delaying Season 2 Has Me Cautiously Optimistic
Season 2 of Battlefield 6 has been pushed back, and as the game continues to lose players, I'm not ready to give up on it just yet.
Battlefield 6 Update Makes Big Improvements
The latest Battlefield 6 update is available to download now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, bringing the game to version 1.1.3.5 with plenty of significant improvements. According to the official patch notes, which can be found further down this article, the update is aimed at enhancing melee responsiveness, refining jet combat, improving ladder interactions, and resolving UI and HUD issues in Multiplayer and REDSEC, alongside fixes for Battle Royale and Gauntlet stability. Battlefield Studios says the update intends to be a smaller set of focused improvements aimed at polish and consistency across Battlefield 6.
Following complaints from fans, the latest update also makes a major change to the Battlefield 6 BF Pro Bonus Path progression. The Bonus Path, which was time-limited, was unable to be completed by most without using Tier Skips, which many felt was unfair. To resolve this, Battlefield Studios has decided to reward all eligible players with the associated rewards as part of today's update. Players can claim these rewards via their in-game mailbox right now.
At launch, Battlefield 6 broke records for the series and soared to the top of the charts as the best-selling shooter of 2025. The latest entry in the series even peaked at more than 747,000 concurrent players on Steam alone. However, the decline in active players appears to have been significant, as the latest figures show that Battlefield 6 has lost 89% of its player base on Steam. While the shooter still averages between 70,000 and 80,000 players every day, it's a huge decline from its all-time peak.
This is something that Battlefield Studios is clearly aware of, as the delay announcement acknowledged the continued feedback from the game's community, which is what led the developers to extend Season 1 and delay its next major content update. Battlefield Studios also said it intends to make further use of Battlefield Labs as a way for the public to preview new updates before they are released. This allows the developers to gain as much feedback as possible before it releases any major updates, thus allowing for any necessary adjustments before an official release.
Battlefield 6 Update 1.1.3.5 Patch Notes for January 20
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Improved responsiveness, consistency, and sprint behavior for melee attacks, including knives and the sledgehammer.
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Updated jet combat balance by reducing jet cannon effectiveness against other air vehicles.
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Updated and refined the UI and HUD across Multiplayer and REDSEC, improving armor bar visibility, reticle presentation, and menu navigation.
VEHICLES:
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Fixed an issue where vehicles could explode when a takedown was performed on an enemy soldier lying on top of them.
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Reduced jet cannon damage against other jets and helicopters, requiring approximately 40% more hits to destroy enemy air targets.
WEAPONS:
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Bipod attachments no longer display as always providing a hipfire accuracy bonus, as this bonus only applies while the bipod is deployed.
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Fixed an issue where the GRIM 1.50x optic on the DB-12 cost fewer loadout points than intended (15 instead of 25).
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Fixed an issue where the RPKM iron sights would shoot low when using the short barrel.
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Fixed an issue where the TR-7 Light Barrel incorrectly improved muzzle velocity.
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Fixed bipod mount input behaviour for Alternate, Lefty Alternate, Southpaw, and Legacy Southpaw presets so the bipod mount now follows the melee button.
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Improved attack speed for knife melee attacks.
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Improved buffering behaviour for knife and sledgehammer attacks.
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Improved consistency of melee damage timing against enemies and the environment.
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Improved consistency of recoil modifiers when using a controller across different weapons.
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Improved how sprint is interrupted when performing melee attacks. Sprint is now only interrupted until the attack reaches its target, rather than for the full duration of the animation.
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In the Firing Range, target dummies can now take damage while in the process of getting back up.
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Shooting with a suppressor now emits a small muzzle flash when viewed from close range only.
GADGETS:
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Fixed an issue where the GDPIS was not destroyed when targeted by the XFGM-6D Recon Drone, Defibrillators, or the Repair Tool.
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Fixed an issue where the Sniper Decoy did not properly hide scope glints from nearby snipers.
Assault Ladder
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Fixed an issue where ladders positioned above the player could not be entered.
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Fixed an issue where soldiers could be launched unexpectedly when attempting to enter a ladder.
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Improved the soldier animations while climbing ladders.
UI & HUD:
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Added a new option allowing players to customize the reticle colour inside weapon and gadget scopes.
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Fixed an issue where home screen focus navigation could become locked to the bulletin.
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Fixed cases where weapon menus displayed incorrect Reload Time stats for LMGs.
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Soldier lightning improvements to the front-end
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Improved front-end lighting to enhance the visual quality of soldier characters.
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The Reticle Colour option now correctly updates reticle colours for Thermal Scopes and other supported gadgets.
VFX & Video:
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Adjusted explosion particle effects by lowering the shockwave force.
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Fixed an issue where jump landing movement speed reduction behaved inconsistently in REDSEC compared to other multiplayer experiences.
MAP & MODES:
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Fixed an edge case in Gauntlet mode “Data Extraction” where the drone could disappear permanently if drives were deposited at the exact moment it landed.
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Fixed an issue where the armor bar could disappear intermittently.
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Fixed an issue where the Airburst Incendiary Launcher icon appeared as a grenade in the loot feed.
Gauntlet
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Fixed an issue where the armor bar could disappear after quickly editing a loadout.
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
