Digital Foundry has weighed in on Battlefield 6’s recent beta, calling it “very shippable” and praising its technical polish across PC and console. With launch just two months away on October 10, that verdict is exactly what DICE and EA wanted to hear after the franchise’s rocky recent history.
The first open beta test, which ran from August 7-10 (including early access), set a franchise record with 521,000 concurrent players on Steam, making it the most-played Battlefield beta to date and briefly surpassing Call of Duty’s top PC numbers. The second beta, which kicked off August 14 and will be wrapping up tomorrow, has so far peaked at 408,754 concurrent players. While not quite as high, it still signals strong engagement heading into launch.
Still, the experience wasn’t flawless. PC players flagged the absence of DLSS and DLAA, console lobbies hit matchmaking snags, and the introduction of small-scale infantry maps like Empire State drew backlash from fans who felt the beta didn’t live up to the “all-out warfare” promise. DICE has since reassured players that larger maps are in the pipeline for launch.
On the gameplay front, the beta’s highlights included the new drag-and-revive mechanic, letting players pull allies to cover before defibrillating them—a small but significant tweak that captured the community’s imagination. Modes like Rush also returned, though mixed reception suggests refinement is still needed before launch.
EA sweetened the deal with a community challenge: rack up $1 trillion in in-game destruction during Weekend 2, and players will unlock a special weapon skin at release. Consider it incentive to blow up everything in sight.
Between the technical thumbs-up from Digital Foundry and a massive player turnout, Battlefield 6 is shaping up to be one of the series’ strongest launches in years. Whether it can sustain that momentum past October 10 will depend on how well DICE balances its scale, modes, and performance across platforms.
