There’s a lot riding on Battlefield 6. After the messy launch of BF2042, EA is putting an extraordinary amount of time and effort into the sequel, clearly hoping it’ll be the biggest entry in the series yet. That’s why the studio is working with players every step of the way, testing and tweaking systems based on feedback well before any major official reveal. Recently, though, we learned about the game’s classes system, and the community was far from impressed. Now, EA has addressed those concerns while diving into even more detail on how the roles will work.
EA caught a lot of flak for Battlefield 2042 when it launched, and one major reason for this was the game’s Specialist system. This mechanic completely annihilated the series’ traditional classes, turning them into a hero shooter-inspired mess that the community quickly rallied against. The reaction got so bad, in fact, that EA folded Specialists back into classes and promised they wouldn’t be coming back, ever. Despite that, however, the community isn’t entirely pleased with the direction Battlefield 6 is going.
As of right now, the upcoming shooter’s class system is split into two halves: class-defining and customizable. Class-defining aspects are signature weapons, gadgets, and traits that give you distinct bonuses, acting as a reason for you to play within your role. If you choose the Recon class, for example, sniper scope sway will be decreased and your ability to stabilize your aim will be improved, encouraging you to use the weapon. Will this make for one of the best FPS games, though? Only time will tell.
As for the customizable side, this means you can use absolutely any weapon you want with any class. When EA revealed this system earlier this year, however, it didn’t go down well. A large portion of the community want to go back to class-locked weapons and gadgets with the Battlefield 6 release date, to make each role feel truly distinct.
In its newest blog, EA recognizes the complaints around classes, but doesn’t commit to changing the system. “We have seen the suggestions to revert to previous systems and/or closed weapons. We are keeping these in mind in our discussions as we aim to connect new and veteran players to the Battlefield experience, fostering teamwork and creating a universal understanding of our systems for the future,” EA writes.
“We’ve collected extensive player feedback and data to improve the next Battlefield, particularly around classes. Some improvements happen quickly through Battlefield Labs testing, with balancing done via server-side commands. Other changes require new tools or client-side updates that take longer.”
This was also followed up by the global senior director of integrated comms for Battlefield Studios, Andy McNamara, who assures the community that the team is hearing their concerns. “Just a friendly reminder, BF Labs is the place where we work on ideas, test and learn, and collect important data from our players. We love hearing and working with our players, and I promise you we hear everything. Can’t wait to share with you the culmination of this work at [a] reveal later this summer.”
As mentioned by McNamara, EA has been using Battlefield Labs to bring the community into the newest game’s development process. This initiative recruits long-time players to test out specific focus areas of the game, which EA then takes action on. If you want to get involved, make sure you check out the Battlefield Labs sign up process right now.
While we wait to learn more about Battlefield 6, make sure you check out the best war games and multiplayer games on PC today.
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