In IGN's interview with Vince Zampella back in September 2024 – the very first piece of Battlefield 6 news fans got – the Head of Respawn & Group GM for EA Studios Organization made it very clear that the developers are trying to deliver a return to form with Battlefield 6. Zampella even cited Battlefield 3 and 4 as "the peak or the pinnacle of Battlefield," and the era that the developers are trying to hearken back to.
This attempt to hearken back to the series' golden age will likely result in a complete overhaul of Battlefield's current gameplay formula, and probably the removal of some recently introduced mechanics. It's already been confirmed that Battlefield 2042's Specialists have been cut, and the Weapon Plus system is likely to be left behind as well. But there's one staple mechanic of the franchise that can't be cut, and that Battlefield 6 might have a hard time balancing.
For All Its Flaws, Battlefield 2042 Has One Feature That BF6 Should Expand Upon
Battlefield 2042 had more than its fair share of problems, but there's one 2042 feature that deserves another chance in the spotlight.
Battlefield 6 Will Need to Make a Decision About The Series' Revive Mechanic
How Battlefield's Revive Mechanic Has Changed Over The Years
First introduced in 2005's Battlefield 2, a revive mechanic has become a staple feature of the Battlefield franchise, appearing in every mainline entry since. When it was initially implemented, Battlefield's revive mechanic required the use of a Defibrillator gadget, which was exclusive to the Medic class. Medics could use the Defibrillator to heal downed teammates back to full health.
Along with getting fellow players back into the fight as soon as possible, a major benefit of reviving teammates in Battlefield is that it stops the team from losing any Reinforcement Tickets, thus keeping them in the game for longer. Battlefield's revive mechanic remained essentially unchanged until Battlefield V's launch in 2018.
Battlefield V introduced the 'Buddy Revive' mechanic, whereby squadmates could revive one another without the use of a Medic-exclusive gadget. Battlefield V tried to balance this new mechanic by making it take several seconds to revive allies, while healing with a Medic's syringe would revive them instantly. Battlefield 2042 carried this system forward, but introduced a new restriction. With no classes at launch, only those who played as Battlefield 2042's Specialist Falck could revive teammates.
Reverting Battlefield's Revive Mechanic Could Be a Double-Edged Sword
All signs are pointing to Battlefield 6 being a return to form for the franchise, and very likely, a return to basics as well. A true return to basics would mean a reversion of Battlefield's revive mechanic to the classic system present in every entry before Battlefield V, meaning that only those in the Medic class would be able to revive fallen allies.
According to recent leaks, Battlefield 6 might feature a dragging mechanic, where players can pull their downed allies out of combat and revive them behind cover.
A possible benefit of this reversion would be that it could make Battlefield 6's classes feel more important and distinct from one another, which would undoubtedly be a boon after Battlefield 2042's divisive Specialist system. But the removal of squad revives could also lead to more downtime for players, especially if they don't have a medic on their squad, which could in turn lead to frustration and toxicity. The best route might be a compromise similar to Battlefield V's system, where Medics are able to revive allies instantly while squadmates take a few seconds to revive one another.
Battlefield 2042
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 65 /100 Critics Rec: 32%
- Released
- November 19, 2021
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- DICE, Criterion Games, Ripple Effect
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
