Battlefield 6 is finally here—at least in beta—and the big question is echoing across Twitch and Discord: will Battlefield 6 kill Call of Duty, or at least make a serious dent? After clocking a full day of hands-on Time on Xbox Series X (and watching the beta rocket up to ~800K Twitch views while Black Ops 6 Season 5 hovered around 30–40K), I’ve got a balanced Battlefield 6 beta review for you. Below, we'll talk about the things that need to be fixed, like the little bugs with the game's settings and how the characters move. We'll also talk about the super cool parts that everyone loves, like the amazing guns, how things blow up, and how the game feels so real, like you're a soldier.
We'll also see what bright things the people who make Battlefield 6 can do to make kids who like Call of Duty want to play their game in the year 2025.
Related reading: Battlefield V review and Battlefield 2042 review.
Battlefield 6 vs Call of Duty: The Big Question
There’s undeniable momentum. BF6 debuted with massive viewership and a wave of player curiosity we haven’t felt in a while. Meanwhile, industry chatter (including reports that Activision “isn’t worried”) makes the showdown even spicier. The reality: Battlefield doesn’t need to “kill” Call of Duty to win; it needs to build something sticky, fun, and confidently different. The beta shows real signs of that.
Battlefield 6 Beta Negatives: What Needs Work
Clunky settings and sensitivity confusion
- The settings UX is overloaded and occasionally buggy. Navigating between submenus feels inconsistent, and inputs sometimes kick you out to previous screens.
- Sensitivity tuning is far more complex than it needs to be. While granular control is great for veterans, basic “look” and ADS options should be more straightforward, more transparent, and discoverable up front.
Movement hitches and the sprint bug
- With automatic sprint enabled, you can get stuck walking until you backpedal or spam jump. It doesn’t happen every life, but when it does (especially during a push), it’s momentum-breaking.
- Recommendation: prioritize a hotfix for sprint State logic; it’s table-stakes for a smooth, high-tempo experience in modes like Domination.
SMGs lack a clear role.
- Right now, SMGs feel outclassed. Up close, they’re viable, but at anything resembling mid-range, they turn into peashooters.
- With AR + shotgun secondaries available, many players can already cover long and short range without ever touching an SMG.
- Recommendation: give SMGs a modest mid-range velocity/range tweak so there’s a genuine incentive to pick them over AR/shotgun pairings.
The ammo economy feels too tight.
- In “flow State,” running out of ammo is common, even when playing the objective. Yes, Battlefield’s class synergy expects ammo drops—but for onboarding COD players, it’s a friction point.
- Recommendations: slightly raise base ammo for certain weapons, add more obvious ammo stations, introduce more accessible extended mags, and consider clearer UI pings for nearby resupply.
Battlefield 6 Beta Positives: What Absolutely Slaps
It’s straight-up fun—and contagious
- I played for 10 hours. That hasn’t happened to me since MW2019/Warzone 1. Friends were asking for beta codes. Social buzz felt organic, not purely sponsored.
- Momentum matters, and BF6 has it.
Visuals, audio, and authentic battlefield vibes
- Graphically stunning on Series X; PC will be jaw-dropping. The sound mix—explosions, collapsing structures, distant sniper cracks—builds immersion that feels like “a real battle.”
- Skins matter. Seeing grounded, mil-sim soldiers (not novelty skins) reinforces the tone. Keep cosmetics clean and realistic—players will support the look if the game slaps.
Responsive devs and community-first energy
- Multiple devs and community managers are actively engaging, soliciting feedback, and responding quickly. That two-way pipeline builds trust and accelerates improvements.
Gunplay is satisfying across classes.
- ARs feel crisp, shotguns are exhilarating (borderline OP—but fun), and sniping headshots are deeply satisfying. Even if you’re not a Battlefield veteran, the feedback loop clicks fast.
Destruction and evolving maps are back.
- Buildings crumble, lines of sight shift, and late-round situations feel like a different map entirely. It’s the sandbox fantasy Battlefield built its legacy on—and it’s back in a big way.
Customization without bloat
- A clean, “Pick 10–ish” approach with clear trade-offs and a lean attachment pool. No 9,000-attachment bloat—just wise, readable choices that let you build and go.
How Battlefield 6 Can Win Back Call of Duty Players
Ship more minor, high-tempo modes at launch
- Domination: It already rocks thanks to quick spawn (no overhead eagle-cam delay). Keep refining spawns and pacing.
- Team Deathmatch: A staple for a reason.
- Hardpoint: Tight fights and rotating hills keep action dense and replayable.
- Search & Destroy: With revives, S&D could be incredible—tense, tactical, and clutch-friendly. Condense the playspace a bit, and it’ll be a standout.
Innovate in Battle Royale—and launch it after MP.
- Smart move: ship MP first, BR later. Let players learn guns and rank up without turning MP into a grind funnel.
- The BR must bring something new. Warzone’s loadouts and Apex’s revive meta changed the genre. If BF6 adds vehicles and destruction with a unique twist (e.g., dynamic, map-altering objectives, squad extraction pivots, or limited-use loadout drops), it can stand out.
- Consider fewer or no loadouts for a purer survival feel—or tightly controlled loadout access to keep balance intact.
Balance pass: SMGs, ammo, and movement
- Give SMGs a defined mid-range niche so they’re not eclipsed by AR+shotgun setups.
- Tweak ammo economy (plus more straightforward resupply UI) to reduce friction for new players.
- Fix the sprint bug ASAP. Movement must feel buttery in objective modes.
Will Battlefield 6 Kill Call of Duty? A Measured Verdict
Short answer: it won’t “kill” Call of Duty—but it can absolutely make a dent and force a wake-up. Think back to the Infinite Warfare vs Battlefield 1 era: Battlefield didn’t end COD, but it did shift the conversation and nudge decisions (remember COD4 Remastered?). BF6 has that potential. If DICE/EA nails more minor modes, keeps destruction epic, delivers a fresh BR idea, and maintains that stellar community communication, a lot of COD players will spend serious Time here this year.
Conclusion
Battlefield 6’s beta is the most refreshing FPS experience in a long Time. It looks and sounds incredible, the destruction is back in force, the gunplay hits the right notes, and the dev team’s openness is a massive W. The rough edges (settings bloat, sprint bug, SMG identity, ammo friction) are fixable—and if they’re addressed quickly, BF6 will be positioned to win back lapsed players and tempt a wave of COD mains to switch up their nightly queue. If you’re on the fence, the open beta is free—and EA Play’s 10-hour trial at launch makes it easy to test-drive before you commit.
Related reading: Battlefield V review and Battlefield 2042 review.