It’s been less than a week since Battlefield’s free-to-play REDSEC battle royale mode launched, but players of the paid Battlefield 6 game are not a fan of how the winds seem to be changing.
As a long-time Call of Duty player, I only have one response: “First time?” Because yeah, anyone could have seen EA’s focus shifting to the money-making free-to-play mode and microtransactions coming by looking at the past five years of CoD and Warzone. But I also think the panic may be setting in a bit too quick.
One such vocal BF6 fan took to the anger-pit that is the Battlefield Reddit page to voice their concerns, angrily calling BF6 a “bait and switch” and “a Call of Duty game wearing a Battlefield skin, marketed as a ‘return to form’ for the BF3/BF4 era that never arrived.” Oof.
The Redditor brought forth the key art for BF6 compared to REDSEC’s as evidence, citing the game’s branding as a “drastic tonal shift” that spells the beginning of the era where REDSEC is the focus and BF6 falls behind, at least in theory.
“The launch branding felt like the core BF we’ve all missed,” the player said. “The four anonymous soldiers, seen only from behind, communicated that this game is about nameless fighters thrown into all-out war. Then came season one. After barely 18 days of that grounded atmosphere, this new branding looks ripped straight from Call of Duty and seems to represent a broader shift.”
A lot of users felt compelled to call the post out, saying that BF6 feels the same for them and that the poser is exaggerating. But some others are smelling what the OP is cooking, especially when it comes to seeing Warzone and CoD’s influences.
“What I hate is how stylistically it’s the EXACT copy of CoD/Warzone, like they’re not even trying to hide it or give it their own spin,” another gamer said. “I played CoD/Warzone a bunch and it feels like a permanent Deja Vu being in the menus. I don’t hate CoD/Warzone for what it is, let it be what it is. I was just also hoping to get that BF experience back. If I wanted Warzone, I’d play Warzone…wtf…”
For what it’s worth, Steam reviews for REDSEC are Mixed, while BF6’s clock in at Mostly Positive, reflecting a wide array of opinions when it comes to both games. Either way, there’s over 400,000 players online on Steam as I type this (player count is not tracked individually for the different modes), so EA and Battlefield Studios are doing something right.
I’m personally not a BF6 player but I have tried REDSEC, and I thought it was a fine game. What say you, dear reader? Is BF6 headed down the Warzone path with REDSEC? Let us know in the comments below.
