Earlier today, after months of teases, leaks, and rumors, EA and Battlefield Studios finally unveiled the first official trailer for Battlefield 6. And what we’ve seen so far seems great. I just hope that EA avoids following Call of Duty, Rainbow Six Siege, Destiny 2, and countless other games that have chased Fortnite and added endless and often dumb crossover skins and ruined each game’s aesthetic in the process.
Battlefield 6's first trailer focuses entirely on the game’s single-player campaign, which will feature a story about an evil PMC causing chaos and seemingly trying to destroy NATO. This PMC will be a part of the game’s multiplayer mode, too. Despite the trailer being all about the campaign, it’s clear that this time around EA and series creator DICE—which is part of a larger group of teams working on BF6 known as Battlefield Studios—are aiming for a grounded, contemporary military sim. This is unlike recent Battlefield entries like BF2042 and BFV, which either focused on the past or the future. This is good. Battlefield 3 and 4 are probably the best games in the series. I just hope that after launch, BF6 avoids becoming an IP slop shop like Call of Duty and other big shooters have.
These days, it seems like every major live-service shooter is filled with crossover skins. I’ve been playing Rainbow Six Siege recently, after its big update, and was shocked and horrified to be killed by a person dressed as Rick from Rick & Morty during a match. Later, I killed Master Chief and Lara Croft. The gritty, tactical aesthetic Ubisoft had spent years creating was ruined and the game felt like a joke.
A similar thing has happened to Call of Duty, which continues to introduce sillier and weirder skins, including Beavis and Butthead. Even Destiny has decided to ruin what was one of the most unique and interesting sci-fi universes in decades by shoving Ghostbusters, Star Wars, and more into the game.
Look, I get it. Fortnite makes a lot of money. And it relies heavily on IP crossover skins with various movies, TV shows, and other games. The thing is, Fortnite has always been a weird cartoon playground that felt more like a toybox than a real world. So I don’t mind the Predator, Peter Griffin, Hatsune Miku, and Godzilla hanging out together. It’s a horrible, but impressive, pop culture nightmare. And it doesn’t need to be copied by every other live-service game around.
My hope for Battlefield 6 is that EA realizes the opportunity they have with this new game. Every one of your competitors, big and small, has made a deal with the devil and added crossover cosmetics and goofy skins in the pursuit of Fortnite-like profits.
And EA and Battlefield Studios have a chance here to go in a different direction. To take a different path with Battlefield 6 and its cosmetics.
Don’t ruin the game’s aesthetic and grounded tone by adding Spider-Man or whatever; instead, focus on adding content that fits within the universe and doesn’t distract during battles. Add more camo options. More tactical vests and goggles. New weapon attachments and boots. It might not be as flashy as, say, adding The Thing from Fantastic Four into the game, but it will preserve BF6's tone and look.
I think if EA goes this route, it could differentiate this new Battlefield game from the upcoming Call of Duty and all the other free-to-play live-service shooters out there in 2025. And these days, that could be the key to building a large and loyal audience. Better yet, it means I won’t have to get picked off by someone dressed as Batman or Darth Vader while trying to capture an objective. Doesn’t that sound nice? Imagine a game with a distinct and consistent art style. It’s not impossible. It could happen. And I hope EA and Battlefield Studios realize that and keep the slop out.
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