Battlefield 
It’s been 9 years since we’ve had a Battlefield title that met or surpassed expectations in terms of community hype, gameplay features, and technical state. In 2016, Battlefield 1 was an unexpected hit that propelled the whole WW1 aesthetic and interest to new heights. The two sequels, Battlefield V and especially Battlefield 2042, stumbled and fell short in many ways, including their visual identity.
Past misadventures & a new hope
Battlefield V eventually recovered its reputation, but the lifecycle was cut short, and by many, it’s considered an incomplete game. It lacked the Soviets as a faction and more recognizable battles, such as D-Day or Stalingrad.
Battlefield 2042, however, failed in so many aspects that it’s hard to name just a few. Flashy operators, silly one-liners, barely any faction distinction, and sloppy animations. It was a whole package of misdirections that never truly captured the attention of the Battlefield community, despite numerous updates, as its very core was considered too flawed.
And now, after a long, long while, Battlefield 6 is somewhere near or even above the Battlefield 1 levels of hype. Steam pre-orders indicate unprecedented numbers and a resurgence in trust for the franchise. Finally, a new Battlefield game that builds upon the core features of the most beloved titles with a grounded, gritty, and immersive world that just looks and feels right. Or does it?
A return to form for the Battlefield franchise
A successful, surprisingly smooth, and mostly bug-free Battlefield 6 open beta has already won over a significant portion of skeptics regarding the overall direction and feel. Even before the release, Battlefield 6 has already managed to win this year’s AAA FPS battle. Hence the hype, a massive influx of returning Battlefield players, and a good chunk of fatigued Call of Duty players joining the ranks.
Purely by sales numbers, Battlefield has yet to outsell Call of Duty. It came close only once in 2016 when Battlefield 1 competed against CoD Infinite Warfare. In 2025, CoD Black Ops 7 has already been left in the dust, at least in public discourse and marketing, with sales numbers pending.
Visual identity
This time, the visual identity is largely what you would expect when considering modern military aesthetics. Nonetheless, let’s take a closer look at the launch and Season 1 content, analyzing some of the visual aspects that still bother some of us, and the visual direction we can expect in the future.
Nitpicking or not, here at Eldorado, we’ll definitely spend hundreds of hours in Battlefield 6. We’ve been waiting for so long, and many of us have so many ideas of how Battlefield should and shouldn’t look. We would like to share some of our insights and continue the overarching discussion. With that in mind, let’s dive in.
Battlefield 6 launch content and Season 1
Battlefield 6 is back on track with grounded skins and visuals. Gone are the days of Battlefield 2042 operators and wacky cosmetics. Both factions, NATO and Pax Armata, have distinct visual styles and shapes. NATO features mostly greyish colors and a US-oriented arsenal, while Pax Armata focuses on darker greens, with mostly European weaponry. Here is a breakdown of the most important visual elements in Battlefield 6.
Maps
Veteran players have noted a slight lack of larger-scale maps. Sure, Mirak Valley and Operation Firestorm feel large enough. Still, we can all feel the tendency to downscale after the fiasco of Battlefield 2042, which offered some of the biggest maps ever.
The maps feel worn out (in a good way), with greatly enhanced destruction, and a moody, gritty atmosphere sorely missed in 2042.
Battlefield 6 ups the grit, at times reminiscent of Battlefield 1.
The only visual nitpick to be found is the lack of faction-specific static military equipment. Such assets are great for environmental storytelling. All maps feature the same US Army FMTV cargo trucks and NASAMS launchers scattered throughout, as well as Centurion C-RAMs on both deployments, most of which are depicted in the same US Army desert camouflage.
The visual language would greatly benefit from environmental storytelling with richer assets. Sometimes, a tale of two factions clashing and leaving the remnants of their distinct presence is missing. So far, FMTVs rule the vehicular landscape. There are other military cargo trucks, you know, like the German HX series.
FMTV cargo truck. Credit: Wikipedia
The biggest missed opportunity, so far, seems to be the two Gibraltar Maps, Iberian Offensive and Saint’s Quarter. Both are infantry-focused, set in the tight downtown area of Gibraltar. Before we became familiar with the layouts of these maps, Gibraltar seemed like a perfect spot for combined arms, naval warfare, and carrier assault with amphibious landings.
Interestingly, the Battlefield 6 single player campaign already features a full-blown amphibious assault on the beaches of Gibraltar. The very first concept image of Battlefield 6, released in 2024, also showcased a massive battle taking place in Gibraltar.
A single player mission, featuring Gibraltar. Credit: EA
The Rock of Gibraltar alone could serve as a Damavand Peak-like experience. Not mentioning vast cave networks, similar to those found on Iwo Jima. All that sounds like an ultimate all-out-warfare map concept. A shame, really, if Gibraltar won’t be represented in the future seasons in an expanded fashion.
Rock of Gibraltar. Credit: Unsplash.
Weapons
Across the board, Battlefield 6 weapons and their attachments are well-crafted, with highly accurate models, new animations, and enhanced attention to detail. They do not carry over from Battlefield 2042 in any way, shape, or form.
Realistically, nothing to nitpick, really. Well-researched and modeled choices. Great job, Battlefield Studios. Yet, here are some observations regarding visual choices.
For some of us military enthusiasts, it’d be nice to get an M4 with a front sight post for that classic US Army aesthetic. In the game, M4A1 has a very rare foldable front sight. Maybe a classic weapon package could be featured in the future?
Battlefield 6 M4A1 with a rare foldable front sight post. Credit: IMFDB.
The standard-issue US Army M4A1 is considered a classic firearm today. Credit: FN Herstal.
Modern weapons are evolving rapidly, especially those still in development. The XM7, the potential future US Army infantry rifle, has recently lost its forward assist to save weight. In the game, it still features one. But that’s understandable. It would be the most nitpicky nitpick imaginable.
Vehicles
Seeing European and American vehicles pitted against each other in a Battlefield game is a bit unusual, but still welcome. Overall, the distinction between factions is noticeable and logical, knowing the lore, but there are some strange choices.
- Light transport. American GD Flyer for NATO and Dutch Vector/GRF for Pax Armata. Thematically consistent choices for both.
- Infantry fighting vehicles. We’ve seen the M3A3 Bradley many times already, and now it’s a welcome debut of the CV90 MK.IV.
Infantry fighting vehicles. Credit: EA
- Main battle tanks. The good old M1A2 and Leopard 2A4 with the Revolution upgrade kit.
Main battle tanks. Credit: EA
- Transport helicopters. UH-60 Black Hawk and… UH-60 Black Hawk. Sure, both NATO and some former NATO countries that are now part of Pax Armata use Black Hawks. There are numerous distinct options, however, for the faction that is Pax Armata, such as the NH-90 or Mi-17. That’s probably why transport helicopters were excluded from the official communication without receiving a dedicated marketing showcase image.
- Attack helicopters. The AH-64 Apache and Eurocopter Tiger are the obvious picks, according to the new fractured NATO lore.
Attack helicopters. Credit: EA
- Mobile anti-air. German Flakpanzer Gepard is another peculiar choice. The same vehicle for both factions, although with a caveat. This time, it has two different models. Flakpanzer Gepard suits the European nature of Pax Armata, sure. But for the US and UK-based NATO, something like a wheeled Stryker ot tracked AMPV in the M-SHORAD configuration would be more thematically appropriate.
Mobile anti-air. Credit: EA
- Attack jets. The F-16 and JAS 39 Gripen are fresh, logical, and interesting choices for the franchise. Of course, the classic, dedicated attack jets, A-10 and SU-25, will be missed. In reality, however, the world has mostly moved on towards multirole fighter jets. So it’s only fair to adhere to the realities.
Attack jets. Credit: EA
- Fighter jets. F-22 and SU-57, surprisingly and correctly, use thrust vectoring for advanced maneuvers for the very first time in a Battlefield game.
Fighter jets. Credit: EA
- Armored personnel carriers. Battlefield 6 Season 1 introduces a new vehicle, the Trasverser Mark 2, based on the South African Marauder MRAP. Just like with the Black Hawks, the same vehicle for both factions, yet again. For NATO, the obvious candidate would be the US Army’s JLTV, and Pax Armata could have the aforementioned Marauder. Why such a simplification? 👀
Battlefield 6 Season 1 content roadmap. Credit: EA
Seeing the same vehicles for both factions gives off Battlefield 2042 vibes all over again. DICE, please. Let’s always have different options for both factions. It has always worked great before Battlefield 2042. No need to change that.
Classes
In Battlefield 6, all classes for both factions are visually identified by equipment protruding above the left shoulder. Such unique identifiers were introduced because Battlefield 6 player skins are more alike than in previous entries (featuring a modern setting).
- Assault. Sledgehammer – sure, that works. A universal tool for any job, affiliation, and faction.
- Engineer. Two Soviet RPG-7 rounds. That’s the weird one. For Pax Armata, an amalgamation of mercenaries that also uses the SU-57 fighter jet, it’s perfectly suitable. For NATO – definitely not. The US or British military would never use an RPG-7. A disposable launcher, like the AT-4 or SMAW, carried diagonally on the back, would make for a nice faction-based differentiation, just like in Battlefield 3, Battlefield 4, and Bad Company 2. Ideally, it’d be nice to see launchers change depending on what you actually choose to deploy with.
A Battlefield 6 US engineer carrying two RPG rounds as a visual identifier and a Battlefield 3 engineer equipped with an SMAW.
- Support. We just can’t figure out what it is. Is it a water container? An unusual choice, but an interesting one. It’s certainly not an obvious or intuitive class identifier.
Support class visual identifier is somewhat of a mystery.
- Recon. Comms antennas. Overall, perfectly fine. Even though the count of antennas and their lengths could differ across factions.
Final thoughts on the visual identity
Battlefield has finally returned to its tried-and-true visual identity. Development-wise, are the nitpicks above intentional (time saving) or an oversight? Impossible to answer as of now, as the majority of visual aspects are the best-researched they’ve ever been. Yet, addressing these nitpicks would greatly enhance visual differentiation. For more casual players, it would never be an issue, but for some, such an extra step would be the icing on the cake.
Ultimately, unique silhouettes create a distinct visual language and build stronger faction identity, contributing to deeper lore. And gameplay-wise, it’s easier to spot hostile movement.
Battlefield 6 leaks & future updates
Battlefield 6 Season 1 features two maps set in California, corresponding thematically to the battle royale mode, also set in coastal California. That’s officially announced Season 1 content. But let’s see what to expect beyond.
- MH-6 Little Bird, a true modern Battlefield staple, is expected to inevitably return in later seasons. It can be seen in single player campaign shots, making it an almost guaranteed addition.
- From the Battlefield Labs leaks, we know that the Japanese Howa Type 20, a 5.56 mm assault rifle reminiscent of the FN SCAR and HK433 (both already in-game), is preplanned. Is more Japan-related content planned for upcoming seasons? Another iteration of Wake Island, along with naval warfare and island hopping, would be great to see.
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