Thus far, Battlefield 6 has had a whole lot going for it. After the BF6 beta attracted a massive number of fans, Battlefield Studios got itself a massive PR win by sharing some big Battlefield 6 movement changes coming out of the beta and announcing more Battlefield Labs testing for two of the game’s launch maps. Thus far, it seems poised to please newcomers thanks to its fast-paced gameplay, while old-school fans can appreciate its grounded approach to cosmetics, the classic map Operation Firestorm, and the return of a focus on classes. However, it won't be all sunshine and rainbows for Battlefield 6 if one feature goes too far.
Said feature is tied to Battlefield 6’s Phantom Edition, a more expensive version of the title that includes a handful of digital goodies. Specifically, the $100 version of BF6’s contents are as follows:
- 4 soldier skins
- 2 weapon packages
- 1 vehicle skin
- A collection of charms, dog tags, and other cosmetics
- 1 Battlefield Pro Token
Battlefield 6’s Phantom Edition also includes XP boosts for weaponry and profile level, but it’s expected to be temporary/limited in some way rather than permanent.
It’s the final item, the Battlefield Pro Token, that will raise a bit of a red flag for those familiar with the Call of Duty franchise. Said token provides access to the first battle pass for the game as well as 25 Tier Skips and “exclusive cosmetics.” While details about those cosmetics still need to be revealed, as of now, this approach sounds just like Blackcell - and that’s a slippery slope that Battlefield Studios has to avoid descending.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Took Blackcell in Some Problematic Directions
Call of Duty’s Blackcell battle passes are essentially more expensive versions of a normal battle pass with extra rewards. There will be themed skin variants for every major Operator outfit and weapon blueprint of the main battle pass in addition to an exclusive Call of Duty Operator, a special clan tag for Blackcell owners, and so on. Blackcell themes tend to be extremely flashy, with the collections from the latest game including golden fire effects, ghostly prisoners, and gods and goddesses. Some players instantly disliked the idea of a more expensive battle pass when it was introduced years ago, as it devalues the base version since so many interesting cosmetics are locked behind the higher price tag, though BO6 has provided even more reasons to dislike the Blackcell system.
In addition to an unpopular XP boost that makes leveling up the battle pass quicker for Blackcell owners, Black Ops 6 implemented the divisive concepts of Blackcell-exclusive bundle skins and Blackcell-exclusive event rewards. The former is problematic for the same reason the Blackcell pass itself is, except it’s even more controversial because it makes it so that Call of Duty’s paid bundles - which tend to be significantly more expensive than the base battle pass - do not include all the content for a large chunk of buyers. Essentially, if players purchase a bundle without having the expensive Blackcell pass, they risk missing out on a special Operator skin they could have had otherwise. As for Black Ops 6’s events, including Blackcell-exclusive skins, weapon blueprints, and camo variants made it feel that players were doing the same amount of work for a less rewarding payoff, making events less appealing for many gamers.
Battlefield 6 Has to Avoid Making BF Pro Take on Call of Duty’s Worst Blackcell Tendencies
While it can certainly be argued that Treyarch and Activision increased the value of Blackcell passes in Black Ops 6, as exclusive event content, XP bonuses, and bundle extras ensured owners were constantly benefitting, this approach also meant that those without Blackcell always felt they were missing out. For Battlefield Pro to be an attractive option while remaining consumer-friendly, a few things BO6 introduced for Blackcell should be avoided at all costs.
First, in-store bundles for Battlefield 6 should never have Battlefield Pro bonuses attached, with bundle buyers getting the full lineup of content regardless of which battle pass version they own. Secondly, Battlefield 6’s events should never offer exclusive rewards for Pro members, with something like an exclusive challenge or challenge set to progress the event faster being far more fair (this was one acceptable BO6 Blackcell addition to learn from). Lastly, to avoid the pay-to-win criticisms of BO6’s Blackcell battle pass, it would be best for Battlefield 6 to avoid Pro XP bonuses altogether. If it’s kept to just some exclusive battle pass cosmetics, tier skips, and extra challenges for event progression, Battlefield Pro can dodge the hate levied at Call of Duty’s Blackcell passes in recent months.
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
