More and more details are starting to surface regarding the upcoming Battlefield 6, with its widespread and ambitious playtesting program giving some fascinating early glimpses of the project. With it being possible that the game could release as soon as 2025, some fans are gearing up for the possibility of a major head-to-head between Battlefield 6 and 2025's Call of Duty entry, with these two titles potentially marking an important showdown in the longstanding rivalries between the two FPS giants.
Against this backdrop, it is clear that DICE has learned a lot of lessons when it comes to Battlefield 6, particularly following on from the extremely divisive launch of Battlefield 2042, with the Battlefield Labs playtesting system aiming to put community voices at the heart of the next major entry for the IP. The waves of playtesting that Labs hosts is a fantastic way for DICE to field some ambitious and potentially controversial changes before Battlefield 6 releases, with a lot of community backlash recently stemming from the announcement of a move away from traditional class-locked weaponry. While fans have fielded concerns around balancing issues and how this might impact the traditional Battlefield feel, the introduction of Signature Traits for each class crucially offers some distinction between each role.
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Battlefield 6's Signature Traits Might Soften the Blow of its Class-Restricted Weapons Controversy
Unlike 2042, Battlefield Labs will allow DICE to gauge community feedback on more controversial changes and tweak them prior to launch, with the overall premise of Battlefield 6 being in stark contrast to the main themes of its predecessor. From the outset of Battlefield 6's development, it seemed clear that the game was taking much greater inspiration from the "golden age" titles of the franchise's past, with entries like 2011's Battlefield 3 and 2013's Battlefield 4 being blueprints in particular.
This is evidenced in Battlefield 6's more modern setting, as well as things like a return to 64-player matches and smaller-scale maps, which makes the recent announcements relating to class weapons all the more confusing for some fans. DICE recently confirmed that Battlefield 6 is not set to feature the traditional weapon restrictions for the game's four main multiplayer classes, allowing players to mix and match whatever weaponry and gadgets they choose across Assault, Engineer, Support, and Recon.
Traditionally, Battlefield's class-locked weaponry meant that Assault, Engineer, Support, and Recon classes would generally use assault rifles, SMGs, LMGs, and sniper rifles, respectively.
While this allows for greater player freedom, a distinct weapon structure between classes has always been an integral part of what makes Battlefield's traditional multiplayer tick, with there being pros and cons as well as an overall balance between what kind of combat roles players locked themselves into. It seems that this absence of class-locked weapons in Battlefield 6 is a hangover from 2042's very controversial operator system, with the next wave of Battlefield Labs playtesting hopefully allowing the community to voice a more cohesive opinion on this particular aspect of the upcoming game.
Signature Traits Give More Purpose Amidst the Uncertainty of Battlefield's Class Identities
Regardless of whether this absence of class-specific weaponry makes it to the final product of Battlefield 6, DICE additionally announced the introduction of Signature Traits for each class, giving a unique passive buff for each class catered around their most important combat approaches. These Signature Traits will work alongside Signature Weapons and Signature Gadgets, which provide an additional bonus for players using the traditional weapon types for their chosen class, somewhat alleviating the impact of there being no official class-locked weapon system.
Away from weapons and gadgets, Signature Traits are set to offer things like automatic enemy spotting for Recon players, giving an added level of flair and utility for each class while giving each class a more direct role on the battlefield. If class-locked weapons are completely absent from Battlefield 6's launch, then the game's classes will need every ounce of identity that they can manage, and the introduction of Signature Traits seems like a logical way to build upon the usual benefits of class choice for the next major Battlefield title.
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
- Engine
- Frostbite
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
