Cairo Bazaar Developer Map Guide

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• REIMAGINING GRAND BAZAAR
• EXPLORING CAIRO BAZAAR SECTOR BY SECTOR
• TOP FIVE TIPS AND TRICKS: CAIRO BAZAAR

A lively marketplace in the heart of Cairo, packed with alleys and innovative tactical opportunities for high-intensity close-quarters combat. Veterans may recall a Grand Bazaar from Battlefield's past; in the reimagined Cairo Bazaar, every squad becomes a merchant of destruction. 

If Railway to Golmud kicked off Season 3 as Battlefield 6’s largest map yet, then Grand Bazaar is a follow-up high caliber shot to another aspect of this franchise’s legacy. For over two decades, Battlefield games included tactical experiences where infantry combat and small vehicles reign, and where destruction can help forge new paths to victory.

No greater example is found in Grand Bazaar, now reimagined in Season 3 as Cairo Bazaar:

REIMAGINING GRAND BAZAAR

Over fifteen years ago, Grand Bazaar was named among the final launch maps for Battlefield 3 (alongside another fan-favorite: Caspian Border). At the time, its description laid out what would become a memorable high-intensity experience:

“Grand Bazaar is a classically mirrored map where both sides have very similar pathways, sideways, and possibilities to traverse heights to get a better view of the action. It’s a very short range close quarter combat map where shotguns tend to be favored.”

The decision to include Grand Bazaar for Battlefield 3’s launch was similar to the design process today, albeit at scale with a larger team. Each map - including those cut or further refined for post-launch content - saw an art lead paired with a level designer; this “pod” competed against other pairings internally as the entire studio voted on the nine map launch offering. With the goal of appealing to both veteran and new players, the map selections made were to “not only get a balanced mix of gameplay variations in the game, but also a variety of visual impressions.”

Grand Bazaar’s Level Designer at the time, Niklas Åstrand, recalled the tight collaboration between himself and the map’s level artist who was responsible for its layout, such as road widths and types of houses, as well as its overall visual design. Niklas’ focus on Grand Bazaar - and other Battlefield 3 maps like Noshahar Canals and Damavand Peak - was around specific game mode layouts, optimizing gameplay at and between objectives to ensure fair and exciting engagements. For Grand Bazaar, this work meant checking cover pieces at and around capture points to improve infantry combat, as well as adding additional alleys along and between the main roads to create alternative routes for infantry.

“One critical change we made was giving infantry a safe space to advance past the ‘alley of death,’” Åstrand recalled. “The curved bazaar corridor and the indoor market were already planned by the collaboration, but all those side alleys off the center were additions I made to prevent balancing issues. While we originally based it on what a real market would be like, designing maps comes down to a gut feeling on what makes it fun.”

Åstrand is now Senior Game Designer for Battlefield 6, working on game mode design since Battlefield 1. For Cairo Bazaar, he passed the torch along to Senior Level Designer Patrick Murphy and other developers who updated the Bazaar for the modern Battlefield:

“We had conversations on the best applications of modes from the old map into the new version,” Åstrand said. “The original layout is still there in spirit and feeling, but Patrick and the team did a phenomenal job improving gameplay and overhauling the visual design.”

“For those who're looking for some quick and fast action, the area where TDM is played has been refined, with Domination being added to the same combat zone,” Murphy said. “We did a lot of iteration to get the Domination layout right; it's definitely my favorite small mode of the map!”

Similar to the level design and level artist partnership in Battlefield 3, Murphy and the level design team worked in lock-step with Battlefield Studios Art developers to not only bring back Grand Bazaar to Battlefield 6, but ground it within the War of 2027. As Pax Armata splinters across the globe, one of its Warlords creates a stronghold in Egypt, clearing out a bazaar that’s served Cairo for centuries, if not millennia. Stirring dissent among the local population, Pax Armata forces a NATO response, entrenching both sides on opposite ends of the region after heavy fighting already occurred.

This vibrant, yet war-torn, atmosphere should be noted across our cross-game comparisons between Bazaars. However, Murphy indicated that if players look past the environment and visual fidelity upgrades, they will certainly notice changes from Grand Bazaar to Cairo Bazaar when they start blasting through this new map’s walls.

“Throughout the level, across both small and large scale mode experiences, the amount of destruction has dramatically increased,” Murphy said. “In a few key areas, players can not only use the alleyways to get around the map, but also blow open shortcuts that were not at all present in the original. These release valves reduce the pressure on the map's choke points and allow players to surprise enemies with clever flanks.”

Remember that Infantry Fighting Vehicle tearing down concrete barricades in the Season 3 Trailer? That moment showcased one of Cairo Bazaar’s many new shortcuts. The additional cover pieces may make the map feel slightly more constrained than the original version at the beginning of a match, Murphy said, but players have the agency to widen choke-points and side-step them entirely by breaking down the destructible environments. If you mastered how to bust open Hagental Base in Season 2, then prepare to take those lessons forward into the Bazaar.

“That was our design goal, what we call ‘breaking the stronghold’ internally,” Murphy said. “It’s how we introduce a bit of variety to each match. By the end of the match, players will have plenty of movement freedom, but how they get there - and how they can take advantage of the destructible environment to capture objectives and earn kills - is the key to mastering this map.”

EXPLORING CAIRO BAZAAR SECTOR BY SECTOR

Core to Cairo Bazaar’s philosophy is maintaining its original structure. In other words, while Railway to Golmud saw more dramatic changes between iterations, the transformation of Grand Bazaar to Cairo Bazaar is focused on environmental updates, save for a course correction on Headquarters sizing:

Faction HQs (NATO and PAX Armata)

As Grand Bazaar veterans remember, a powerful opposition can turn their faction’s Headquarters into a bottleneck. Cairo Bazaar remedies this issue by adding additional alleyways and overhead cover to the original one-way streets.

PAX holds the main market, where they’ve hastily constructed makeshift defenses to withstand NATO’s advance. To the north, NATO is better organized, with structured positions and a coordinated loadout. Now regrouped, they prepare to push forward once more and eliminate PAX’s presence for good.

Expect vehicle staging on each main road out of these headquarters, but if you prefer to go on foot, then there are multiple paths to breaking up a potential spawn trap.

Bazaar and Marketplace

Welcome to the “Alley of Death…” and the Marketplace, with the infamous “big banana” lane still in-tact.

“This central area is now set among the archways of an indoor bazaar instead of an outdoor alleyway,” Murphy said. “but the mayhem should be familiar to everyone who has played the map before. This shortcut through the heart of the map is as important and hotly contested as ever.”

“We aimed to preserve the classic tight, corridor-driven gameplay while capturing the energy of a vibrant Cairo market,” Collins added. “Some of my favorite art in the game comes from this space, adding character and authenticity throughout. At the same time, the area shows clear signs of a hurried evacuation during the recent conflict, with details that reflect its abrupt abandonment.”

Navigating the new bazaar safely is all about tactical destruction: destroying walls not only creates new entry and exit routes, but it also leaves behind rubble piles to take cover. Combined with crates and archway columns, let alone the Support Class’ Smoke Grenades, Smoke Launcher, and Deployable cover, there is no excuse for being completely exposed in this deadly hallway. If you are, then an LMG or any of the Rifles will be happy to pick you off, but by bouncing between cover pieces or flanking in and around this area, a close-ranged weapon can clear out and counter this opposition.

Boulevard

One part of the maps’ outer ring where vehicles can move quickly across the map, this western lane sees one of the more significant updates to benefit vehicle and infantry combat alike: 

“The original highway was incredibly open and could be brutal in Rush,” Murphy said. “We've added a few buildings and a massive destructible archway to give players a bit more to fight around and give IFVs something to take cover behind.”

Vehicles littered throughout the street aren’t just there for cover; it tells the greater story of the moments leading up to the skirmishes you will fight as NATO or Pax Armata.

“This area captures the chaos left in the wake of a sudden evacuation—vehicles abandoned mid-journey, some still running” Collins said. “As a main thoroughfare, it’s filled with dense signage and details that reinforce the feel of a busy city street. It also highlights Cairo’s distinctive architecture, anchored by a large overpass that pays homage to the original map.”

Speed kills on this fast lane, but so do well placed mines from an Engineer. Infantry can use the buildings, archways, and stationary cars (preferably after they are destroyed) to inch closer towards bringing these vehicles down or setting up traps. However, this street is open to some of the map’s deepest cross-map sightlines, making this point of interest a hotbed for headshots from the L115 Sniper Rifle, suppression from the RPK-74M LMG, or solid damage from any of the other long-range Primary Weapons.

Plaza and Checkpoint

“Out of all the points of interest, these spaces were hit hardest by the conflict with buildings reduced to near-total ruin,” Collins said. “Nearby, humanitarian stations have been set up to shelter and support those most affected. In the plaza, the hotel still burns in the aftermath of the recent attacks.

This mix of ancillary northern areas serve as the main Bazaar’s extension when it comes to welcoming close-quarters combat. Vehicles can still barrel up-and-down the lane with ease, but new cover pieces make these areas more conducive for infantry squad battles compared to the Boulevard.

“While the original had a few rubble piles in this area, the new version is truly war torn,” Murphy said. “Among the massive rubble piles and ruins, clever infantry players can stalk and ambush other players and vehicles.”

Because of its proximity to the central market, expect enemies to rocket through this space in attempts to lock down multiple lanes. 

TOP FIVE TIPS AND TRICKS: CAIRO BAZAAR

1. BREAK ON THROUGH. The Bazaar is meant to be broken: use your explosive Gadgets and Grenades to develop more paths to victory, especially through the Bazaar itself.
2. SWEEP THE ALLEY. CQB weapons can work wonders when bouncing between cover on Bazaar. Try to force engagements around corners and into alleyways where a shotgun spread or spray-and-pray SMG shines.
3. LIKE FISH IN A BARREL. Long-range weapons are viable down the north-south lanes at the Bazaar and Boulevard, as well as the sightlines you create with enough destruction.
4. CRUISING DOWN THE STREET. How Cairo Bazaar plays in larger modes boils down to who drives vehicles best. Go full throttle when the match begins and no traps are down, then work with the squad to minesweep and position these machines to where they can lock down chokepoints.
5. RUSHER’S REMORSE. A fast-paced map like Cairo Bazaar begs you to throw away lives; that can cost your team a victory, so be patient, note enemy positions when you die, then decide what alternative routes you could take to best flank them for some revenge.

Soldiers that are new to the Battlefield should expect an experience similar to Hagental Base or Saints Quarter with Cairo Bazaar. Veterans already know the drill: have a plan when traversing the central lane or prepare for an onslaught.

No matter how much experience you have on the Battlefield, we look forward to the entire community breaking down Cairo Bazaar starting in Season 3: Blastpoint.

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