Battlefield 6 gameplay revealed alongside testing program on Xbox

EA has dropped a destruction-filled ten-second Battlefield 6 teaser alongside a Battlefield Labs announcement, which Xbox players can now sign up for.

Battlefield 6 gameplay revealed alongside testing program on Xbox
Tom West

Tom West

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Although it's pre-alpha footage, the short Battlefield 6 gameplay tease revealed by EA looks surprisingly good, and you could check it out via Battlefield Labs. While we don't yet know when we'll be blasting through the Battlefield 6 achievements, players can get hands-on with the upcoming Xbox first-person shooter game via a new testing initiative coming to Xbox.

Tom
Tom's Take —

Battlefield 6 could be the Battlefield we've wanted for years

  • EA will be running test sessions for new Battlefield games via Battlefield Labs
  • Players on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PS can now sign up for a chance to participate
  • A short ten-second pre-alpha tease has been shown for Battlefield 6
We've had our first look at the next Battlefield game, which we've been referring to as Battlefield 6. During a recent announcement of Battlefield Labs, a new initiative that will see players test various parts of the upcoming FPS, we also had a chance to see the new shooter in action.

While it was just a short ten-second clip, it clearly shows the modern setting Battlefield Studios are going for with this installment, giving us Battlefield 3 and 4 vibes — right where we want Battlefield to be. The player appears to be wielding an M4 assault rifle while battling through city streets alongside an M1 Abrams tank. While it's pre-alpha footage, the destruction physics look fantastic, and if this is the quality we can expect to see in the full game, we might finally get the Battlefield players have been screaming for.

The tease came alongside an announcement for Battlefield Labs, which EA says is its "Most ambitious community collaboration in franchise history." The team is ready to begin testing "big areas of the experiences our teams have been building for our upcoming launch," and it will give players a chance to have their say about the future of Battlefield.

"It is a space for play and exploration, an environment where we can test concepts and mechanics with our players before we release them publicly," Battlefield Studios says. "Our community is at the heart of Battlefield; their feedback is crucial in helping us know what to prioritize, what to improve, and what feels like an authentic Battlefield experience."

Interestingly, while testing like this is usually only offered to players on PC, Battlefield Labs will be available on Xbox Series X|S and PS5, too. It is invite-only, and players who are accepted will need to sign a non-disclosure agreement, but if you'd like a chance to get involved, you can now sign up on the Battlefield Labs portal.

To start with, only "a few thousand players — both veteran Battlefield players and those that have not played before" will be invited to the first tests in Europe and North America, but the team expects to expand the servers in the future to host "tens of thousands" of players.

As for Battlefield Studios, it's the new name given to the group of studios working on the future of Battlefield: Criterion, DICE, Motiv, and Ripple Effect. DICE, the creator of Battlefield, is handling the multiplayer aspect, designing the classes, destruction, vehicles, squad play, gadgets, and more, while Motiv is designing the multiplayer maps and single-player mission content.

The team at Ripple Effect is "Working on an experience that is really going to open Battlefield up to a whole new group of players, but really still exciting that core audience that has made this franchise so successful," senior producer Ryan McArthur says. As for Criterion, it's working on the next Battlefield game's single-player experience, which will include a full campaign.

I'm really looking forward to the next entry in my favorite shooter franchise — I've already given my thoughts on what I'd like Battlefield 6 to improve on — but what about you? Will you be signing up for Battlefield Labs? Drop a comment below and let us know!
Written by Tom West
Tom has been playing video games since he was old enough to hold a controller, experimenting with a number of systems until he eventually fell in love with Xbox. With a passion for the platform, he decided to make a career out of it, and now happily spends his days writing about that which he loves. If he’s not hunting for Xbox achievements, you’ll likely find him somewhere in The Elder Scrolls Online or fighting for survival in Battlefield.
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