New Player Guide to Battlefield 6

Table of Contents

• First Steps
• Initiation Mode
• FridayNightBattlefield

Welcome to Battlefield 6.

As a new player, you have more of an impact on all-out war than you think. In Battlefield, the greatest players are not the ones who have the highest kill-to-death ratio, nor who make the flashiest plays…

The best players are team players, and when there are many paths to victory, even the smallest contributions can turn the tide of battle for the squad.

Here is how you can take complete control of your first hours on Battlefield 6:

Your First Steps onto the Battlefield - Settings and Campaign

The first time you open Battlefield 6, you will be presented with a streamlined Settings menu. This allows you to enable accessibility enhancements, as well as customize some of the dozens of individual sliders, toggles and behaviors for gameplay mechanics. The full Settings can be accessed via the “Gear” or “Cog” icon on the Battlefield 6 main menu.

Based on our experience, we recommend tuning these five Settings first, if you don’t know where to start:

• Sensitivity. Crucial for precise aim on a mouse & keyboard or a controller, which Battlefield requires to play well. The lower the value, the slower your visual turns will be.
• Inverted Look. For some, holding up is to descend and holding down is to ascend, particularly in vehicles like jets. Multiple inverted look settings exist for general swaps or for specific vehicles.
• Controller Layout / Keybinds. From pre-set controller layouts to binding every action individually, this customization option is key to fitting the game to your personal preference.
• Motion Blur / Shake. The default values offer the most immersive gameplay experience, but those with a motion sensitivity will not lose out on anything by turning these settings down or off entirely.
• Field of View. A higher Field of View (FOV) isn’t necessarily better. Turn this up or down for what fits your monitor and your physical, out of game distance from it.

After this, we highly recommend a new player enter Multiplayer with more experienced friends. The only true way to learn is by playing the game, and a group of patient friends is your best resource - far better than any written guide - in helping you as a new player. 

It’s also more enjoyable to play with friends, usually. If not, get new friends - FridayNightBattlefield is good for doing that.

Our next best recommendation - and our first choice for a true solo player - is to play the Campaign. This single-player experience offers a great introduction to Battlefield and classes, specific character archetypes with unique traits, gadgets, abilities and more, that are the core of Multiplayer.

The single-player Campaign offers several rewards for completing missions and performing certain tasks, such as collecting hidden intelligence documents. Most rewards are cosmetic, such as sprucing up your in-game player profile, but there are several XP Boosters and a Weapon Package that can be useful for Multiplayer.

New players should start the Campaign on “Recruit,” as it is the most forgiving option. If you can play through the missions on Normal difficulty, let alone Veteran or even Hardcore, you are more than prepared for Multiplayer.

Initiation Mode - Your Launchpad Through the Core Ranks

Every player - new or veteran - starts Battlefield 6 at Rank 1. Performing in-game actions - eliminations, assists and playing the objective - rewards Career Rank XP; earn enough Career Rank XP to go up a Career Rank, unlocking new functional and cosmetic rewards along the way.

At launch up until Rank 10, you have access to Initiation Multiplayer playlists, in addition to all Multiplayer experiences that any player can access.

Initiation Modes in Multiplayer offer the same combat scenarios and intensity as a “regular” Multiplayer mode with two key differences: this experience is meant for low Rank, or new, players, and each team is partially filled with bots. 

At launch, the sole Initiation Mode is Breakthrough, an exciting introduction to Battlefield’s all-out warfare experience:

Initiation Breakthrough - Experience Guide

Breakthrough is an intense battle on the frontlines: one large team is the designated Attackers side, while the other team becomes the Defenders. 

At the start of a match, the Attackers will attempt to advance through a sector of the given Combat Zone by capturing objectives, but are only granted a limited number of lives to do so. Whenever they capture all objectives in a sector, the battle moves to a new sector up until they reach the final sector at the Defender’s true headquarters. The game ends when the Attackers claim victory by capturing all sectors , or when the Defenders reduce Attacker lives to zero (and winning the game).

To secure a sector, Attackers must control all of the Defenders’ owned objectives at the same time. An objective is a small area labelled on the map with a letter (A or B); standing in - or sitting in a vehicle within - the zone fills up a progress meter which, when full, claims the objective for a team. 

The more teammates are on an objective, the faster its progress meter fills. Progress can also be halted when the objective is contested, having at least one person from both teams in the objective at the same time.

Playing on Defense could be thought of as the “easier” of the two sides, solely because they have unlimited lives. While more forgiving than having a set number of lives shared among the team, it still takes time to re-enter the fight after being eliminated. Think of Defending as an important learning experience on how - and why - to not get eliminated frequently, with the crucial concept of reviving teammates as a main lesson to use in all Battlefield experiences you will have.

Defenders also tend to have environmental advantages in certain sectors. For example, Liberation Peak: Medevac Mile features a hilltop base as its final Breakthrough sector. Unless the Attackers work together to bounce between cover pieces and move their respawn points through squadmate spawns and Gadgets or Smoke Grenades (hint hint), the Defenders can fire from the top down at them.

With that in mind, being an Attacker can be just as exciting of a role, if not rewarding. While Defenders earn additional experience points for their own objective play, Attackers earn serious XP gains by capturing objectives and advancing sectors. 

Consider the Attacking side of Breakthrough as a graduation above the Battlefield basics: if you can win an Initiation Breakthrough match as an Attacker, then let that give you the confidence to conquer the rest of Multiplayer. There is also an extreme satisfaction in overcoming the odds - limited lives and environmental challenges - to win a match of Breakthrough, although you may need to experience that feeling for yourself to understand it!

The Breakthrough Initiation experience features both bots and players like yourself. Make some new friends - or bring them in yourself - and learn this new Battlefield mode together while exploring the Combat Zones, available vehicles and your loadout.

A Note on Reviving - Battlefield’s Greatest Infantry Weapon

Dozens of loadout items and vehicles cause lethal damage, but one tool is capable of bringing a soldier back to life: Reviving.

To revive a downed player, simply go up to them and hold the on-screen command displayed above their body; it’s usually the same command to interact with objects in-game. After several seconds, your teammate is back in the fight without the need to respawn, albeit with reduced health that needs to be regained to full strength over time. While reviving, you have the option to drag a downed teammate to safety so long as you are not prone (laying down). In doing so, you can avoid being in direct lines of fire and move towards cover. 

If there is anything to be learned as a new player, whether this is your first time playing Battlefield or this type of game in general, it is how to revive and not always bleed out. Reviving your teammates ensures a valuable resource - lives - are not exhausted in a game, with just one revive potentially being the difference between victory and defeat.

Again, we cannot emphasize it enough: revive your teammates, and they will revive you, or at least learn how to revive you over time.

Every Class of soldier can revive their squadmates, but choosing the Support Class also grants the ability to revive any ally on a team, as well as access to an instant revive Gadget known as the Defibrillator. If you have no idea what that sentence means, you may start to ask yourself:

Wait… Classes? Loadouts? Where Do I Begin?

Battlefield 6 Multiplayer offers a ton of options with four classes, over 40 different weapons and an arsenal full of gadgets. For a brand-new player, this amount of choice may be incredible or intimidating: those who feel the latter should fear not, because the game’s developers built-in several features to streamline you towards the action:

Each of the four Classes - Assault, Engineer, Support and Recon - have a default loadout that is available right when you jump into Multiplayer. These default loadouts give a strong definition of these classes’ strengths and unique purpose in Multiplayer; every loadout includes the following:

Training Path: Designed to amplify the unique strengths of each Class, ensuring your role on the field is both impactful and strategic with active abilities and passive benefits

Primary Weapon: Your main source for dealing damage as infantry.

In Closed Weapon experiences, all Classes can use a Carbine, a DMR or a Shotgun as their Primary Weapon. Each Class also has access to their Signature Weapon:

• Assault - Assault Rifle
• Engineer - SMG
• Support - LMG
• Recon - Sniper Rifle

Secondary Weapon: Your backup damage dealer, other than using a vehicle or stationary turret if available. 

Gadget (Two Slots): Unique to each class, a collection of offensive, defensive and strategic devices and equipment.

Grenade: Throwable explosives that either deal direct damage or have some effect against enemies, such as blinding them or slowing movement. Also includes the deadly Throwing Knife, available for the Recon Class.

Melee Weapon: A handheld tool used to damage enemies in fisticuffs range, some of which also deal damage to structure and objects. 

Signature Gadget: By default, each class also has a Gadget that is usable regardless of your loadout. They are as follows:

• Assault - Adrenaline Injector
• Engineer - Repair Tool
• Support - Supply Bag
• Recon - Motion Sensor

Each Class also has a Signature Trait and a benefit that applies to their Signature Weapon, which you can read all about in game.

Even when breaching these default classes and creating one yourself, every Primary and Secondary Weapon has a pre-set collection of attachments, making it so that no soldier goes into battle with zero useful combat accessories.

If you want to learn more about Loadouts and Classes, there is a ton of information found in game, as well as in our dedicated Loadout Guide and Class Guide.

Five Quick Tips

1. Assault: Tactical > All-Out. First time Battlefield players who are also fans of other FPS games may gravitate towards this class due to its offensive tools, but a great Assault player is more tactical than gung-ho. Use the Assault class’ Squad Beacon in a safe, advantageous position for reinforcements on an objective, and make use of its explosive options to decimate cover, clear objectives or annoy vehicles.
2. Engineer: Be a Vehicle’s Best Friend (And Worst Enemy). Features like the Repair Tool Gadget make the Engineer a “support” class for vehicles; whenever possible, stay close to allied vehicles and keep their health high. Alternatively, if you love blowing things up, the Engineer is your new favorite role. Take your launcher of choice and point it towards the nearest enemy vehicle.
3. Recon: Ready, Aim, Spot. Although the Recon role is built on precision and infiltration, the ability to spot enemies is a crucial tool that benefits the entire squad. Be the Sniper aiming down sights or a Pathfinder dotting up enemies silently, and reap the rewards of all those assists or, with enough practice, swift eliminations.
4. Support: Revive When Appropriate. A tip for all classes, but especially for Support: reviving allies is vital for victory, as it can keep the team closer to objectives and prevent the loss of reinforcements. Remember to revive when there is not a clear and present danger, using the Defibrillator in tight spots. So long as you are not prone, you can also drag downed allies to continue reviving them in a safer location.
5. General Advice: Objective Over Everything. Wins matter most in Battlefield. Whether it is arming or defusing M-COMs or capturing and holding objectives, focus on actions that directly result in a team’s victory. Objective play also nets more XP over simply racking up eliminations… Although in modes such as Team Deathmatch and Squad Deathmatch, the only objective is to eliminate enemies and survive. Learn the rules for each mode and gravitate towards what you find fun, but don’t be afraid to try something new with more experienced squadmates.

FridayNightBattlefield

Lastly, every new player should know about #FridayNightBattlefield, which holds a special place in our community’s heart. This regular event is our community’s rally point for catching up with friends, both old and new, and having fun through unique Battlefield experiences not normally found in Multiplayer. We encourage all new players to take part in this welcoming weekly event after learning what it’s all about:

Friday Night Battlefield is a weekly event that allows the community to get together and play new, exciting Battlefield 6 experiences powered by Portal, the signature sandbox experience builder for the franchise. On Fridays at 12 PM UTC until Saturdays at 12 PM UTC (starting after launch weekend), all players (including developers, who occasionally pop-in) can play a special #FridayNightBattlefield playlist in game.

Next Stop: Initiation Challenges

After playing several Multiplayer matches, you may notice pop-ups indicating challenge completion. Most likely, these will be Initiation Challenges, introductory tasks that guide you through Battlefield 6’s modes, vehicles and more. Complete these to get set up with XP and XP Boosters that help you rank up faster, as well as some cosmetic items.

Click here for details about all five of the Initiation Challenge groups.

This is Your War - Jump into Battlefield Today

The ultimate all-out war is here - rally the squad and join the fight today. 

Battlefield 6 is available in both the standard edition (MSRP USD$69.99) and the Phantom Edition (MSRP USD$99.99). The Phantom Edition includes the BF Pro Token, Phantom Squad Soldier Skins, Weapon Packages, Deluxe XP Boost, and more, in addition to the full game download of Battlefield 6.

*Offers may vary or change.  See retailer site for details.