Battlefield 6 vs Battlefield 5 – What’s New?

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The new *Battlefield* game arrives this week on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC. We’ve already discussed how it’s better than *Battlefield 2042*, but how does it stack up against *Battlefield 5*? Released in 2018 after the huge success of *Battlefield 1*, *Battlefield 5* faced some criticism and its support ended sooner than many players expected. It’s worth revisiting to see what elements have carried over and been refined in the newest installment.

Without further ado, here are the 14 biggest differences between Battlefield 5 and Battlefield 6.

World War 2 vs Modern Day

The most noticeable difference between *Battlefield 5* and *Battlefield 6* is the time period. *Battlefield 5* takes place during World War II, while *Battlefield 6* is set in a more contemporary era. Although *Battlefield 6* is set in 2027, it emphasizes realistic military combat and avoids futuristic or highly advanced technology.

The Company vs Loadouts

While *Battlefield 5* had its strengths, it also included some unusual features, like The Company – a complex system for customizing your soldier and gear. It let you choose a role, weapons, gadgets, and even how your character looked, along with vehicles. *Battlefield 6* will still allow you to customize loadouts for each class, but the developers are aiming for a more realistic appearance for characters and have limited the initial factions to just two.

Co-op Support

Despite all the work Battlefield Studios is putting into making *Battlefield 6* a hit – including adding a Server Browser and rebranding the Portal section as Community – the game won’t feature co-op gameplay. You won’t be able to play the campaign with friends, and there aren’t any modes or activities where you can team up to fight against AI enemies. However, the Portal system and its creation tools might allow players to build these kinds of missions themselves after the game launches – if the developers can even make Pong with it, the possibilities are endless.

I remember when *Battlefield 5* first came out, it didn’t have any co-op modes. But they added it later with an update called Lightning Strikes, which was part of the Tides of War. It was called Combined Arms, and it was really fun! You had these missions with different goals – sometimes you’d have to take out specific targets, other times just kill a certain number of enemies, and then you had to fight your way out while being swarmed! It wasn’t super complicated, but the levels were all different and had their own little stories going on.

Class Changes

The Assault Class in *Battlefield 5* was built for taking out infantry and vehicles with weapons like anti-tank mines and rocket launchers. After testing *Battlefield 6’s* beta, the developers at DICE have changed the Assault Class to emphasize quick movements and getting into position. It now includes an Assault Ladder to help players reach high ground and the ability to place a Deploy Beacon (previously the Recon class’s Spawn Beacon). A new ability, Enhanced Mobility, lets Assault players capture objectives faster when fighting alongside teammates.

Grand Operations vs Covert Operations

Battlefield 5’s Grand Operations were the most expansive mode the series had seen. These large-scale battles unfolded over four in-game days, each with different locations and gameplay styles. For instance, the Battle for France started with attackers parachuting into Twisted Steel while defenders tried to repel them. The next day on the same map featured a Breakthrough mode, and Day 3 moved the action to Arras with a 64-player Frontlines match. If neither side decisively won, the operation culminated in a final, desperate battle on Day 4 – a no-respawn, last-man-standing fight within a shrinking play area.

While *Battlefield 6* doesn’t currently offer a mode like Grand Operations, EA recently hinted at something called Covert Operations. It probably won’t be a direct replacement, and it might just be a new name for seasonal challenges. We’ll have to wait and see what it actually is.

Number of Launch Weapons

While DICE hasn’t revealed every weapon that will be in *Battlefield 6* at launch, they have confirmed there will be more than 40. For comparison, *Battlefield 5* had 30 main weapons, 7 pistols, and 9 melee weapons. This doesn’t include gadgets, but it looks like *Battlefield 6* will offer players a lot of options when it releases.

Combat Roles vs. Field Specs

In *Battlefield 6*, each character class has a unique ability – for example, Support players can revive and drag teammates faster, and Engineers take less damage. *Battlefield 5* had a similar system called Combat Roles. The Assault class started as Light Infantry, giving players more health and the ability to collect extra ammo from fallen enemies. As players leveled up, they could unlock Vehicle Buster, which allowed them to highlight vehicles for their team when damaging them, and earn extra resources when destroying them.

In Battlefield 6, Field Specs offer increasing advantages as you use your chosen class’s specific abilities. For example, a Recon player focusing on sniping can prevent enemies from being revived after a headshot at level 2 of the Sniper Training path. Alternatively, choosing the Spec Ops path grants the same player the ability to avoid being spotted when going prone. Both paths start with immediate passive benefits, and unlock an active ability at level 3.

Locked vs Universal Weapons

Even though it sparked debate, *Battlefield 5* kept the series’ practice of limiting weapons to specific classes – for example, preventing Assault players from using sniper rifles or Recon players from using light machine guns. *Battlefield 6*, initially, let all classes use any weapon, mirroring *2042*. However, due to player feedback, it added a ‘Closed Weapons’ mode that brought back class-based weapon restrictions. The game also featured ‘Signature Weapons’ which gave players an advantage when using the weapon type best suited for their class.

Unlocking New Weapons

The way you unlock new weapons is changing with the move towards “Universal Weapons.” In *Battlefield 5*, you unlocked weapons and other gear specific to your chosen class by progressing through that class. In *Battlefield 6*, unlocking weapons is tied to your overall player level, and you can unlock weapons usable by any class. If you like experimenting with different weapons, this won’t be a big change. But if you prefer sticking to weapons designed for your specific class, it might feel disruptive.

Campaign vs War Stories

Interestingly, *Battlefield 4* was the last game in the series to feature a campaign that followed the same group of characters throughout the story. The new *Battlefield 6* brings that back, centering on the team Dagger One Three as they fight against Pax Armata, a private military company trying to undermine NATO, with Alexander Kincaid as the main villain. *Battlefield 5*, on the other hand, used a similar format to *Battlefield 1*, telling multiple ‘War Stories’ with different characters and plots. While that approach suited the large scope of World War 2, *Battlefield 6* might be a better fit for players who prefer a continuous storyline with a consistent group of characters.

Rush Changes

Rush mode has long been a fan favorite in the Battlefield series, starting with Bad Company. It’s a chaotic, quick-paced mode where teams switch between attacking and defending objectives. Battlefield 5 continued this tradition with the addition of artillery. However, Battlefield 6 has made some changes that are letting players down. The player count has been reduced from 16v16 to 12v12, and the gameplay doesn’t feel as good as in older Battlefield games. While the developers say they’ve adjusted the maps to make things fairer, hopefully they’ll increase the player count in the future.

Firestorm Differences

Battlefield 5 introduced a new battle royale mode called Firestorm to the series. It took place on the large map of Halvøy and allowed 64 players to compete, using vehicles like tanks while searching for weapons and supplies, all while avoiding a closing circle of fire. While details about the battle royale mode in Battlefield 6 (including the map and player count) are still emerging, DICE is currently testing with 100 players divided into 25 squads. A key difference from Battlefield 5 is that character classes now have a meaningful impact on gameplay, providing unique advantages and special weapons. And like other battle royales, the shrinking ring in this mode is instantly fatal to anyone caught within it.

Crossplay

One of the biggest problems with DICE shifting focus from *Battlefield 5* to *2042*—aside from the issues *2042* itself had—was the lack of cross-platform play. *Battlefield 6* addresses this by offering cross-platform play right from the start, and it improves the system further. The game will primarily match console players with other console players, but will include PC players if it takes a long time to fill a match.

First Season Content

Instead of calling its post-launch updates “seasons,” *Battlefield 5* used “Chapters” as part of its Tides of War plan. The first Chapter launched in December 2018, bringing a final single-player War Story called “The Last Tiger,” a new map for the Conquest mode (Panzerstorm), five new weapons, a Practice Range for honing skills, and various customization options like weapon skins and player tags. While that was a solid amount of content, *Battlefield 6* is planning an even bigger launch for its first Season. Starting October 28th with Rogue Ops, the Season will introduce a new game mode (Strikepoint), three new weapons, new weapon attachments, a new vehicle, and a new map (Blackwell Fields).

On November 18th, the game enters Phase 2, called California Resistance, introducing the Eastwood map, a limited-time Sabotage mode, two new weapons, a new attachment, and the return of Battle Pickups. Phase 3, Winter Offensive, brings a snowy version of the Empire State map with the Ice Lock event, challenging players with freezing conditions. A new melee weapon, the Ice Climbing Axe, is also included. It’s currently unknown if this consistent update schedule will continue, but it’s a great start that keeps fresh content coming regularly.

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2025-10-08 18:45