It's been a long time since Call of Duty and Battlefield were properly competing with one another, but after the recent Battlefield 6 Open Beta, tensions between the shooter franchises might be heating up once more. According to SteamDB, Battlefield 6 managed to achieve a peak player-count of 521,079 on Steam during its two Open Beta weekends, which puts Battlefield 6 in a very strong position two months out from release.
Battlefield 6's Beta seems to have done exactly what EA needed it to do, convincing long-time fans that this entry is a true return to form after Battlefield 2042, while also encouraging a new wave of players to try out the series for the first time. But while it was an obvious success, Battlefield 6's Open Beta wasn't without its fair share of controversies, and one of the most prevalent criticisms reignites the long-dormant war between Call of Duty and Battlefield.
The Two Sides of Battlefield 6's 'Sliding' Debate
Side A: Sliding Makes Battlefield 6 Feel Like a Modern Shooter
The multiplayer shooter scene has changed a lot in the last decade or so. One of the most notable shifts of the last few years has been the move towards generally faster gameplay loops in online shooters. Time-to-kill is quicker than ever, and players are often thrust straight back into the action within seconds. This faster pace is frequently reinforced with a suite of movement mechanics, such as mantling, diving, grinding on rails, and sliding.
In a game like Call of Duty: Warzone, players are expected to exploit all of these movement mechanics to gain an advantage, including utilizing techniques like 'slide cancels', whereby players interrupt the sliding animation to move even faster across the battlefield. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 doubled down on this fast-paced gameplay loop, delivering an Omnimovement system that lets players sprint, jump, slide, and dive in any direction.
Battlefield 6 doesn't let players fly through the air at breakneck speeds and perform 180° headshots, but it does feature a slide mechanic that's proving to be a tad divisive. One portion of Battlefield 6's fan-base seems to be thoroughly enjoying the mechanic, believing that it makes Battlefield 6 feel like a truly modern shooter. This portion of the fan-base seems to generally consist of new fans of the franchise who are used to the faster pace of online shooters like Call of Duty, and streamers who have a lot of experience with mastering tricky traversal techniques.
Side B: Sliding Belongs in Call of Duty, Not Battlefield
But on the other side of the fence, another portion of Battlefield 6's fan-base feel that the game's sliding mechanic doesn't fit the series' formula. The most beloved Battlefield entries are those that boast a grounded tone and game feel. Battlefield 6 is trying its best to capture the essence of those renowned entries, with much of its gameplay and presentation aiming to deliver a feel and tone similar to the ones found in Battlefield 3 and 4.
Some fans think that Battlefield 6's sliding mechanic contradicts that mission statement. Sprinting around the map at full speed, sliding around corners, and jumping to cancel the slide animation doesn't really fit with the rest of Battlefield 6's otherwise weighty, semi-realistic movement mechanics. Seeing players use these traversal techniques is breaking some players' immersion, and it can be a frustrating thing to combat for those who are used to Battlefield's traditionally slower pace.
A Compromise Could Be Possible
There's almost two months to go before Battlefield 6's release, and there's a way DICE could please both sides of the fan-base. Rather than remove the slide mechanic entirely, Battlefield 6 could lower the player's ability to string several slides and jumps together in a row by slide canceling. This would keep the slide intact for those who want it, but lessen its importance in the upcoming meta, allowing long-time fans to essentially ignore it if they want to.
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
