Kellie Wells

EA has confirmed that Battlefield _ **_6 ** will be getting an alpha sometime this year, and that it'll be coming sooner than previous titles. EA made the announcement via a blog post that outlined the status of the highly anticipated shooter, noting that it's shaping up to be something truly incredi The Aftermath expansion served as a mixture of both styles, introducing unique weapons like the crossbow and giving all classes a special design — capturing the feeling that players were fighting in the back half of a war. The End Game expansion rounded out the DLC by focusing on new features like motorcycles, giving Battlefield fans entirely different experiences to keep playing post-launch. Battlefield 6 continuing the free DLC plan of Battlefield 5 would be great, but there's no reason that content can't be shaped into certain themes again. Adopting a system like the content seasons in Call of Duty , DICE could deliver periods of content aimed at all playsty Previously, the Call of Duty vs. Battlefield debate used to be a pretty consistent topic among fans, but not so much anymore. If EA makes a big splash with Battlefield 6 's announcement, that argument could hypothetically return in a good way. Not only does EA have to contend with one of the most popular shooters in games, but some of the more unique aspects of Battlefield (bigger lobbies, larger maps, vehicles, etc.) have trickled into Call of Duty in the last year. Battlefield needs to emphasize what makes it different from Call of Duty to have any chance of making a comeback this year, and it certainly can given the pedigree of games like Battlefield However, with rumors suggesting the Battlelog could be returning in Battlefield 6 , DICE may have realized how useful the feature was — and how integral it was for the game experience. Aside from players using the website for team ups, clan building, and discussion of the game, being able to track progress via Battlelog was an excellent tool for dedicated fans. Players could see leaderboards for several categories, how they were performing with each weapon/class, and much more. With Call of Duty: Warzone fans seeking unofficial third party stat trackers , there is clearly interest in a Battlelog-like system. DICE has the perfect chance to bring it back for Battlefie Another standout map called Damavand Peak saw players leaping from a massive mountain halfway through the match, with attackers and defenders parachuting down as helicopters followed. Without the old Rush flow, newer maps lack these special, cinematic moments, making Battlefield 6 's possible return to this style very promis EA Chief Studios Officer Laura Miele wrote in a blog post today (via ComicBook.com ), detailing the fact that Criterion would be delaying its new Need for Speed title in order to help give Battlefield 6 the support it needs. Miele also noted that the game will be getting an alpha, seemingly very soon. "The project is tracking towards the franchise’s earliest Alpha, the gameplay is at an unprecedented scale, and we are taking full advantage of the technology in the next-gen consoles," Miele said. "The team has done an incredible job despite the challenges of working from home. We want to build on our position of strength, focus on the opportunity in front of us, and set our game makers up for success to deliver the best experience possible to our players this fa Battlefield 6 has already been confirmed for a spring reveal and a holiday 2021 release, so it's entirely possible that the alpha will come shortly after the reveal. When Battlefield: Hardline had its E3 showing, EA put up a beta on PS4 and PC to give players instant access to the game. It's entirely possible EA may pull a similar move for Battlefield 6 _ and debut the alpha following the game's initial reveal. If the studio is aiming to have the "earliest alpha" for the series, it would have to come before June as that's when _Hardline had its first playable build to f For one thing, EA will want to get ahead of Activision in the most literal sense. Typically, Call of Duty games are revealed in May and/or early summer months, but EA will want to unveil something from the next Battlefield game sooner than that. Especially considering how Battlefield 6 , or whatever the next Battlefield game is named, was initially announced for PS5/Xbox Series X during an EA investors/earnings call a year ago. There hasn't been a single inkling of news about the game other than its existence since last January, potentially meaning it's been in development long enough for a gameplay reveal or even just a tea The new Battlefield 2042 maps|https://battlefield2042play.com/ will be the first in the series since Battlefield V in 2018, which was a bit of a mess. The World War II shooter was buggy and had a lackluster battle royale mode to try and compete with other games, all of which led to DICE pulling support on Battlefield V __ less than two years after its launch. Needless to say, it left a bad taste in peoples' mouths. It seems like DICE has taken its time to try and make things right with Battlefield