The Battlefield series has a reputation for rocky starts followed by long recovery arcs, with each game finally securing the love of the player base just in time for the next game to be announced. Battlefield 6, for all its record breaking sales and the easy comparisons back to Battlefield 4, found itself in such a familiar situation, but with Season 4 rolling next week and the promise of what’s to come after, we might already be stepping into the game’s halcyon era.
Battlefield 6 Season 4 finally delivers on some of the key aspects that have made this series stand out over the past 25 years. Launching with a selection of maps that skewed towards smaller encounters and infantry-first combat, Battlefield Studios started to broaden horizons with larger maps through the seasonal updates that followed, but it’s only now, with Season 4, that we have the arrival of boats and aircraft carriers into the mixture of combined arms warfare.
It starts with the brand new map Tsuru Reef, which promises an idyllic Pacific Ocean archipelago to tear up in battle. The smattering of islands will feature steep cliffs, a luxury resort, an old war bunker, and aircraft carriers as the key landmarks, in what will be the largest map in Battlefield 6 to date.
This will be followed on August 18th with Phase 2, which brings a remake of the classic map Wake Island. This is “faithful to the Battlefield V version” though is updated to match the modern war setting and will have a different mix of vehicles.
Taking to the seas across these two maps will lean on two initial naval vehicles. There’s the RHIB to quickly ride the waves and get your squad to shore, and a new patrol boat, the CB90 for a bit of firepower. They will have to tackle the dynamic wave system, bouncing across the undulations of the sea as they go.
But the navy isn’t just boats, it’s planes as well, and Season 4 Phase 2 will also bring a Top Gun collaboration and tie in. Two new two-seater fighter jets are joining the game – the legally distinct F/A-81F Super Spectre and F-74A Seacat, though the Top Gun collab will also have the F-18/Super Hornet F-14 Tomcat are properly represented – and you’ll be able to get some Top Gun-inspired cosmetics.
Phase 2 will start to make use of those carrier with Carrier Strike returning as a limited time mode. This, as in previous games, is all about battling through objective points to gain the chance to attack the enemy carrier directly, but will be set in the Top Gun crossover universe with some movie characters, voice and jets featured – Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), Lt. Robert “Bob” Floyd (Lewis Pullman), Adm. Solomon “Warlock” Bates (Charles Parnell). A Fighter Sweep Gauntlet Mission will then be a jets-only mode in a special Gauntlet Mission.
And it’s Phase 2 when two long-requested quality of life features will also be added. Custom lobbies will debut here, giving more control over the game to players. In Portal, there will be the option of a pre-lobby screen for players to sort themselves into squads and teams, which is key for community-run tournaments alongside granting admin controls and designated admins to manage the session. That will eventually go hand-in-hand with the Spectator Mode, which brings map views, a free cam and more. This feature will initially be limited to Battle Royale and verified Conquest servers, though similar to ranked play, Battlefield Studios will broaden it once they’ve gained early community feedback.
Add in a smattering of new weapons – a new assault rifle, carbine, DMR and sniper – and this is sure to be a fan-pleasing season. We can argue that naval warfare should have been in Battlefield 6 from launch, and that the initial selection of maps was unbalanced, but building out the features and line up of maps through the first year is putting this game into a stronger and stronger position. We look forward to sharing some hands on impressions soon.
