Battlefield 2042 vs Battlefield 6: What's new?

With the thrilling launch of Battlefield 6’s Open Beta, it's no surprise that fans are buzzing over the game’s refreshing change of scenery. Revamped gameplay and a long-awaited return to a more familiar present-day combat only adds to the excitement surrounding its scheduled release on October 10th for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

At the time of writing, the Battlefield 6 Open Beta reached a peak of 334,549 concurrent players on Steam, according to SteamDB, despite only launching on August 4th, 2025. That’s more than double the peak of Battlefield 2042’s beta, which saw just 156,665 concurrent players at its debut. Unlike BF 2042's beta, which received backlash for its bugs and technical issues at launch, BF 6's beta has been noted for its stability, earning a much more positive reception from players.

Now, let’s take a look at the biggest changes coming to Battlefield 6 and how they compare to the controversial Battlefield 2042.

One of the most heavily criticized downfalls of Battlefield 2042 was its futuristic setting and scenery. Many fans expressed their disappointment with this version’s sci-fi approach, feeling it strayed too far from the realistic, dust-filled environments that made earlier titles popular.

For Battlefield 6, the series pivots back to its roots and takes players back to a modern-day, chaos-filled setting. Set in 2027, major European countries have left NATO, forcing the US and its remaining allies to grapple with the fallout. This unstable landscape results in tense, gritty gameplay that fans have long appreciated.

This direction aligns with the vision Jeremy Chubb, a producer at DICE, shared: “When we started work on Battlefield 6, we knew we wanted to come back to a modern military playground, with the kind of atmosphere and grit that made Battlefield 3 and 4 iconic games”.

It will feature nine diverse maps – two more than the seven from BF 2042 – that’ll span across multiple locations around the world including Egypt, Gibraltar, and the streets of Brooklyn in New York.

Here are the nine maps you can play in the official release:

The 128-player count introduced in BF 2042 is also being phased out. While the larger player lobbies featured expanded map sizes, many of those map designs received a lot of negative sentiment – often described as feeling too open and unbalanced. BF 6 will return to the classic 64-player matches on more tightly designed maps, aiming to recapture the adrenaline-pumping gameplay dynamics the series is known for.

The announcement of BF6 introduces the new Kinesthetic Combat System, a complete reimagining of gameplay rebuilt from the ground up to give players a wider range of tactical and reflexive options. The way users shoot, move, and use destruction are now carefully balanced to define this new system.

In BF2042, destruction options were far more limited, and players could not freely tear through floors or reshape the environment as in BF6. In addition, in-game movement was restricted, causing tactical and strategic gameplay to be less dynamic.

Below is a list of announced mechanics being added to the new combat system:

• Drag and Revive: Brave open fire to pull a downed squadmate to safety while reviving them.
• Lean and Peak: Add tactical visibility without full exposure to enemy fire.
• Weapon Mounting: Mount arsenal on walls to reduce recoil.
• Crouch Sprint: Retain some speed under fire.
• Combat Rolls: Added evasive movement, increasing strategic agility on the battlefield.
• Hitch a Ride: Ride along with allied players by hopping on moving vehicles like Marty McFly.

Tactical Destruction also helps players own the battlefield, offering countless ways to transform the environment by using bombs, grenades, and sledgehammers to bash through flooring.

The introduction of the Specialist system to BF2042 was harshly met with criticism, with fans stating it hurt teamwork and class identity. Well, the Battlefield team has heard the cries for change and have brought back the beloved Class system to BF6. The four defined roles: Assault, Engineer, Support, and Recon are making a comeback, each with its own strengths, equipment, and role-specific gadgets that restore the structured teamplay long-time fans have missed.

In an exciting announcement, Rebecka Coutaz, General Manager at Criterion and DICE, revealed, “In addition to building the multiplayer experience, we are also bringing the single player back to Battlefield." After being absent in BF2042, BF6’s single player mode will give players the opportunity to experience an all new campaign. Players will navigate through intense missions and high-stake battles, each offering the perspective of a different squad member.

Escalation is the newest mode joining a vast lineup of multiplayer offerings in BF6. “Teams will be pushed to a final climactic battle that we think our players will love,” said Christian Grass, Executive Producer at Battlefield. King of the Hill is also making a return, bringing back intense, territory-control gameplay.

Ready to deploy into battle? Make sure your system meets the requirements for Battlefield 6 here.