After a number of years on the sidelines, hype for the following Battlefield is beginning to develop. Preliminary hands-on impressions, including our own, have been constructive, and early footage is doing the whole lot it may to channel the vibes of the collection’ peak with Battlefield 3 and 4. One factor that followers fear may throw a wrench in that plan is the fashionable multiplayer obsession with profiting off of licensed skins and other silly cosmetics. They are often enjoyable. They will additionally flip a supposedly gritty navy shooter right into a playground for branded cosplay. But it surely appears like Battlefield 6 plans to keep away from that siren name altogether.
“It must be grounded. That’s what BF3 and BF4 was—it was all troopers, on the bottom. It’s going to be like this,” EA DICE design director Shashank Uchil told DBLTAP at a preview occasion in London this week. “I don’t assume it wants Nicki Minaj. Let’s hold it actual, hold it grounded.” The sentiment was echoed elsewhere as effectively. “What I’ll say is what’s actually essential to us is that issues really feel grounded, and we would like folks to precise themselves and to have cool skins and peacock in a means like ‘I look fairly cool and I’ve this nice weapon pores and skin,’” DICE producer Alexia Christofi told ComicBook. “However we would like it to really feel genuine to the franchise, that’s the strategy we’re pondering.”
Queen of Rap Nicki Minaj got here to Name of Obligation: Warzone and Fashionable Warfare II again in 2023. It caught gamers completely by surprise and pushed the envelop on the sorts of celeb collaborations followers anticipated in gaming. It was additionally just the start of a flood of crossover content material that will overtake the standard Name of Obligation expertise, with gamers simply as prone to be working round as Beavis and Butthead or Rick and Morty. Whereas Activision was making financial institution, gamers had been getting burnt out. “‘That is Extremely Lame’ Name of Obligation Followers Sad With Seth Rogen Pores and skin,” learn one headline from earlier this yr.
After all, the explanation Name of Obligation, Fortnite, and different massive shooters promote goofy skins is as a result of that’s what gamers will really fork over cash for. Activision makes extra from microtransactions than it does from promoting the precise video games. So does EA. Followers is likely to be relieved to see Battlefield 6 bucking one in every of its greatest rival’s greatest developments, however we’ll see how lengthy DICE can persist with its weapons if the sport delivers on the imaginative and prescient its builders are promising.
