As promising as the Battlefield 6 beta is, some fans will likely remain on the fence until the full game is released. This stance is completely understandable after not only the disastrous launch of Battlefield 2042, but the messy launches of even games that are now beloved, like Battlefield 4. Some players will be waiting to see if Battlefield 6 has large maps that meet their expectations, while others will be concerned about progression and will want to know there’s a lot to grind for before they jump in. And for a very vocal minority, Battlefield 6 keeping its word on cosmetics will prove most important - though it seems like even that won’t be enough for some gamers.
Battlefield 6 has promised that its cosmetics will maintain a military vibe, even going as far as to directly call out Call of Duty’s Nicki Minaj skin for being out of place. Given these comments, it’s hard to imagine Battlefield Studios going overboard with collaborations and pop culture tributes, so players should be able to rest easy and not worry about cel-shaded Beavis and Butthead cosmetics ruining their immersion. Based on all the outfits revealed for BF6 thus far, those working on the game seem determined to make appealing skins that still suit a modern military setting, yet there’s already some backlash against them. But if Battlefield 6 fans want the game to succeed long-term like I do, they really need to stop dooming and give a bit of leeway when it comes to cosmetics.
Admittedly, I’ve never been the type of person to be angry about Call of Dut y’s increasingly goofy skins, mainly because I’ve never seen it as the mature military shooter some people want it to be. I was firing a gun with bacon camo in 2012, for crying out loud, so it’s hard to be stunned when a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle guns me down nowadays. With that said, I’d never want Battlefield to turn into that, though I don’t think it’s in danger of going that far. While Battlefield 2042’s Santa skin had players up in arms, as did the Mass Effect and Dead Space bundles, they’re still tame in comparison to many Call of Duty attires. And beyond that, for a live-service game to thrive, it has to make money somehow. So far, Battlefield Studios’ approach to BF6 outfits seems perfectly fair to me, and I’m failing to see what has mil-sim fanatics perturbed.
Even Battlefield 2042’s despised Santa skin wasn’t all that egregious when considering how Battlefield 4 made every character look like a reindeer or snowman for the holidays.
Battlefield 6’s Skins Are Incredibly Tame So Far
Thus far, Battlefield 6’s skin lineup includes:
- A Recon outfit with a skull mask over his lower face
- A PlayStation-exclusive outfit with dark blue accents
- A Twitch-exclusive outfit with faded purple accents
- An exclusive skin bundle for Phantom Edition purchasers that offers a black skin with red accents for each Battlefield 6 class
Somehow, these outfits have drawn ire from certain Battlefield veterans who want nothing but the basic skins for the two factions, NATO and Pax Armata. The outrage thus far is, frankly, absurd. Players are angry about the purple tape on the Twitch skin being “too colorful” for a Battlefield soldier to wear, with the same going for the PlayStation outfit, even though they will likely never even notice the colors in the heat of combat. The Recon-exclusive skin, which players earn by spotting 300 enemies in Battlefield 6’s beta, has drawn ire for resembling Call of Duty’s iconic Ghost character. In reality, skull insignias are used regularly by soldiers in the military, placed on real-world vehicles and weaponry. It’s hardly a stretch to have a video game character don a mask with one, and the skin itself is very tame outside the mask. Really, this part of the outrage just feels like a knee-jerk reaction to something remotely resembling Call of Duty, a series some Battlefield players just cannot stop complaining about.
Then, there are the Phantom Edition skins, which have drawn the loudest complaints for being all-black with hints of red. However, this feels like people looking at the Battlefield series through rose-colored glasses, and is comparable to players complaining about BF6’s infantry-focused maps without realizing how similar Battlefield 3’s map lineup was. In that very same game, which is widely regarded as the peak of the series, players could unlock Spec Ops Black for their soldiers at level 42. Sure enough, this makes the soldier’s outfit completely black, with the only difference between this BF3 appearance and the BF6 Phantom Edition bundle being the red accents on the new skins. If players are bothered by some red patches and accents on a soldier’s gloves, then they’re in for a rude awakening later on.
Battlefield 6’s Skins Can’t Be Completely Lifeless
At the end of the day, Battlefield 6 will need to keep making money long-term so that the content can keep flowing long after launch. With the days of map packs and season passes long gone, and all non-cosmetic content made free to everyone in most live-service titles, skins and battle passes tend to be the big moneymakers that justify new playable content. As such, Battlefield 6’s cosmetics need to be interesting enough for players to actually want them so that they sell well. A skull mask or some purple, blue, or red accents are the bare minimum, as outfits that headline a battle pass will likely have to be even more eye-catching than that. The same goes for store bundles, as though a lot can be done with the mil-sim aesthetic, surely there will come a point where Battlefield Studios has to either play with color or get more extreme.
While the game will hopefully never go as far as Call of Duty and its Nicki Minaj skin, Battlefield 6 fans do have to offer some leeway when it comes to cosmetics. As long as the skins suit an immersive military setting - like all of BF6’s outfits thus far clearly do - complaining about the use of purples and reds seems a bit ridiculous. Battlefield 6 needs to find a middle ground between the absurd skins that sell well and the grounded looks that most fans want. So far, it seems to be doing that, so I hope gamers start to ease up on this specific complaint. Save the outrage for the anime skins if they start to show up in Battlefield 6, because right now, the cosmetics it's offering are the ideal middle ground and not something to whine about.
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
