Restoring Battlefield’s Identity — What Makes BF6 Feel Less Like Battlefield

I’ve been around since Battlefield 1942. I played through BF2, BF3, Bad Company, BF4, Hardline, Battlefield 1, V, 2042. Over thousands of hours, I learned what Battlefield is — not just huge maps, or tanks, or destruction, but a certain pacing, tactical space, and class identity. After 100+ hours in  BF 6 Rank Boost, I see what hits are made, but also what’s slipping, and what must be addressed so the game doesn’t lose what made the series unique.

What Works

• The visual fidelity, destruction, audio are definitely a step up in many maps. When things are working well, it can feel like classic Battlefield spectacle: environment reacting to combat, large-scale warfare, vehicles, infantry interacting in satisfying ways.

• The attempts to address feedback from 2042 are visible. There’s more tentatively slower movement, less of the extreme mobility that made gunfights feel chaotic without meaning. This is good.

• Restoring “classes” (though shifted in form and gadgets) is a welcome return to structure, team roles mattering more than in the last entry.

What Feels Off — What’s Losing the Identity

1. Map Size & Tactical Space

   Some of the maps feel too compact. As many vets say, it’s starting to feel like Call of Duty with a larger map and more vehicles, rather than Battlefield. The smaller maps reduce opportunities for flanking, for long artillery‑based fights, for that “I’ll drive a tank across half the map, clear out anti‑air, then support the infantry push” flow. Veteran players remember Caspian Border, Golmud Railway, Hamada for how spaced it is. In beta, some of the new BF6 maps were ~60‑70% of the size of some of the smaller BF2042 maps. 

   Shrinking maps tends to compress engagements, reduce thinking time, reduce the value of transport vehicles (they become burdens rather than tools).

2. Movement & Momentum

   The mobility is still too twitchy in some cases. Sliding sprees, jump cancels, over‑frequent evasion maneuvers make firefights less about positioning and more about reflexes. When I’m trying to approach a vantage or coordinate a squad push, I find myself being out‑paced by slide spammers or people with zero penalty for bouncing around. The weight of movement feels lighter than what veterans expect.

   While devs have said they’re adjusting movement (nerfing some speed, adjusting slide behaviour) this needs to be refined carefully so that “slower” doesn’t become “clunky” or “slog”.

3. Class & Weapon System Blurring

4. Battlefield has always been about class identity. Assault, Engineer, Support, Recon (Medic, etc.). What tools you bring, what role you play, how you contribute to your team matters.

   BF6’s “open weapon” flexibility is nice on paper — any class using (some) weapons — but it dilutes role clarity. When every class starts overlapping too much (snipers being medics, supports being anti‑tank, etc.), you lose the strategic layer of “okay, we need someone to repair, someone to suppress, someone to spot, someone to flank.”

   Many vets argue that class perks, gadgets, and unique abilities should have more weight, so that being in a particular class means something in how you approach an engagement. The “closed weapon” playlists or modes as alternatives, or more strict balancing, would help bolster that identity.

5. UI, Spotting, and Sensory Overload

6. Battlefield is often chaotic — that’s part of the appeal. But there’s a difference between satisfying chaos and overwhelming confusion. HUD clutter, auto‑spotting, large visible markers, overly bright glint, too many pop‑ups can detract from immersion, stealth, tactical play. Seeing a red marker pop up before you even see the enemy feels less rewarding. It turns some firefights into “aim where the game told me someone might be” rather than “scan, observe, plan, engage.” 

   Visibility issues — smoke, lighting, glare — combined with small UI elements make it harder to keep situational awareness, especially in large chaotic fights.

What MUST Change

Here are my non‑negotiables, things that must be improved for BF6 to reclaim Battlefield’s core identity:

• Bigger, Better Balanced Map Sizes
  Not every map needs to be huge, but the map pool should include several large maps that provide the spacing, the transport‑vehicle value, the strategic depth. And design them to encourage those flows — flanking lanes, usable cover, multiple viable routes, not just chokepoints.

• Refined Movement System
  Slide distance should have penalty recovery, slides should feel substantial so you can’t abuse them. Jump or vault animations, staging, recovery need clarity so players can be punished/rewarded for skill or positioning. Reduce “twitch” mobility that undermines team play.

• Reinforced Class Roles & Closed Weapon Tiers/Rulesets
  Either strongly weight class perks and gadgetry so even with weapon overlap, the classes feel distinct or allow optional “closed‑weapon” modes where roles are sharp. E.g., engineer is the primary anti‑vehicle, recon is long range spotting, support/healer dedicated, etc. Encourage team composition diversity rather than everyone gravitating to meta weapons.

• Tactical UI & Spotting Overhaul
  Reduce auto‑spotting or make it more conditional (smoke, darkness, line of sight). Make markers less obtrusive. Allow subtlety — reward players who use observation, stealth, positioning. Also streamline the HUD so it gives required information without overwhelming visuals. Perhaps more settings for minimalist or classic UI for veterans.

• Better Feedback Loops & Engagement with the Vet Community
  Use Battlefield Labs or similar tools not just as testing grounds but as iterative feedback loops. Be transparent about what is changing, what is considered, what will be adjusted. Veteran players carry a lot of historic knowledge of what works/doesn’t — ignoring that tends to lead to missteps.

Conclusion

After 100+ hours,BF 6 Weapon Unlock feels like it could be great — maybe even a return to form in many ways. But if it keeps drifting toward “soldier‑in‑your‑face, twitch reflexs‑first, less role identity”, I fear it’ll lose the soul of what Battlefield is. The energy, the scale, the tactical depth that we veterans came back for — it’s not guaranteed yet. But if DICE listens, leans into class identity, gives back map space, tames the over‑mobility, and shapes the UI/spotting better, BF6 could be the game we hoped for. I’ll keep playing, but I’m watching closely.