Despite EA confirming that Battlefield 6 will be officially revealed in June, players are still waiting for any official details on the new military shooter. Fans have known that it has been in development for quite some time now, but developer DICE has had very little to say about what players can expect from the game. Of course, Battlefield 6 has also been the subject of myriad leaks and rumors that have covered a wide range of believability. One of the biggest leaks contained all of the audio for the game's reveal trailer, which seems to have confirmed that the game will take place in a near-future setting.
The near-future setting was the subject of various other rumors surrounding the game. Many of them also claimed that Battlefield 6 would not include a campaign, that the game would receive a battle royale after launch, and that it would focus on a fictitious future conflict between Russia and the United States of America. Of course, none of the leaks or rumors have been confirmed, and likely won't be until DICE and EA are willing to talk about the game further, but the near-future setting does make a lot of sense for the series. And, it could be the perfect time period for it to be set in.
Battlefield 6 Is Better Off Not Being Futuristic
There are a lot of popular futuristic shooters on the market with games like Apex Legends and Overwatch both offering their own style of sci-fi for players. As a result, Battlefield 6 launching with too futuristic of a setting would have to make effort to stand out from all of the established sci-fi shooters that are already on the market. Battlefield 6 being futuristic would also run the risk of becoming too similar to DICE's other multiplayer FPS franchise, Star Wars Battlefront. A third installment in that series has not been confirmed, but it would stand to reason for DICE to be working on another Battlefront title, which would make a Battlefield 6 set in the future act as possible competition for it.
Battlefield 6 going far into the future would also make it less distinguished from previous games in the franchise. The last time Battlefield went futuristic was back in 2006 with the release of Battlefield 2142, but releasing a new title set in a similar time period could look like more of a remake of that game than an entirely new release to some fans. Of course, Battlefield is also prone to comparisons to the Call of Duty series and Battlefield 6 will definitely be compared to this year's Call of Duty release. If Battlefield 6 were to feature a futuristic setting, it would surely be compared to Call of Duty's previous futuristic entries like Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.
Battlefield 6's Setting Will Stand Out From Other Modern Shooters
According to an EA financial report, Battlefield 6 is aiming to release later this year. The release window seems likely, as most previous Battlefield titles have released just before the holidays. If Battlefield 6 does launch this year, however, it will be going up against a variety of games like Call of Duty: Warzone, Rainbow Six: Siege, and Insurgency: Sandstorm. With how many popular military shooters are set in modern times it would be difficult for Battlefield 6 to set itself apart from those titles enough to make it seem enticing to new and returning players.
Battlefield 6 also has to differentiate itself from previous entries in the franchise as well. EA has been marketing Battlefield 6 as a leap to the next generation of gaming. Such a claim puts a lot of pressure on the game to deliver a new experience that is unlike anything possible in previous Battlefield titles. Having Battlefield 6 be set during modern times would make differentiating the gameplay of Battlefield 6 from its predecessors much more difficult. Conversely, setting Battlefield 6 in the near future is a great way to introduce new gear and equipment to the shooter that can lead to new gameplay systems and improvements that are truly next-gen.
Battlefield 6's Rumored Setting
The possibility of Battlefield 6 featuring a conflict between the United States and Russia makes a lot of sense. Both Battlefield: Bad Company titles, Battlefield 3, and Battlefield 4 all featured campaigns and multiplayer modes centered around a war between the two countries, so Battlefield 6 doing the same would fit the pattern. However, another rumor suggests that Battlefield 6 will not feature faction-based multiplayer. According to the rumor, the war in Battlefield 6 will see both countries being willing to pay just about anyone to fight for them, leading to a variety of different factions and characters being available for players to choose from. This could very well lead to Battlefield 6 containing operators similar to Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War or Rainbow Six Siege.
Other rumors about the setting include Battlefield 6 players having access to a robot dog piece of equipment that can be customized and used during matches. The rumor compares the robot dog to the famous Boston Dynamics Mule, although it says that it will be faster and have more utility. If the rumor is true, it suggests that Battlefield 6 will be near-future without slipping into the realm of science fiction or going too far into the future that it gets lost among the industry's established science fiction shooters. Being near-future, however, would also guarantee that the game can use some new or theoretical technologies to build interesting new mechanics to help it stand out from other recent shooters.
It will be very interesting to see what the fanbase's first look at Battlefield 6 will look like. The leaked audio from the trailer gives some hints, but there is still a lot that players do not know about the title. If Battlefield 6 really does release this holiday season it is unusually close to release with fans not knowing anything about it other than that it exists. Thankfully, players should not have too much longer to wait for some real information on the title. It will be great to see what improvements Battlefield 6 makes for the franchise.
Battlefield 6 is currently in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.