A lot of excitement is circulating aroundBattlefield 6, with the upcoming game currently undergoing some of the most extensive playtesting the franchise has ever seen. DICE is seemingly placing a huge focus on fan feedback in the final stages of the project’s development, allowing the community to somewhat steer some major creative decisions for the game. Each round of playtesting keeps the previous round’s feedback in mind, with DICE recently announcing some exciting alterations for future gameplay.
The Open Beta era ofBattlefield 6’s playtesting is expected to launch in early August, opening up the title to huge amounts of potential praise and criticism. As recently revealed on the franchise’s official socials, this Open Beta era will include a separate playlist where weapons are locked to the classes that they are traditionally associated with. This has been one of the most divisive elements of DICE’s original approach toBattlefield 6gameplay, marking a big win for the supposed return to tradition that is at the heart of the project.
Battlefield 6’s Open Beta Will Be a Make-or-Break Moment For Class-Locked Weapons
It is clear to see why DICE is leaning so heavily intocommunity-centered feedback forBattlefield 6. The launches ofBattlefield 2042and evenBattlefield 5were marked by a lot of community tension, withBattlefield 2042in particular being criticized for not being in line with a lot of expected core mechanics and themes. The decisions for things like absent scoreboards, non-traditional classes, andCoD-like specialist operators marked a level of division that DICE could not risk repeating.
A lot of the early Battlefield Labs testing forBF6has been praised for its more traditional gameplay, with DICE citing prior games likeBattlefield 3andBattlefield 4as major inspirationsfor the upcoming game. This is echoed in creative decisions like smaller maps, 64-player matches, and a more traditional modern military aesthetic. Despite this, the issue of class-locked weapons has acted as a wedge between DICE and large sections of the community.
The vast majority ofBattlefieldtitles divide the franchise’s weapons between classes, with ARs being limited to Assault, LMGs being restricted to Support, etc. This gave distinct combat roles and gameplay opportunities to different in-game classes, being a staple ofBattlefieldall the way untilBattlefield 2042. The removal of class-locked weapons was a big sticking point forBattlefield 2042, and while the title somewhat walked this back in post-launch updates, DICE initially repeated this approach withBattlefield 6’s playtesting.
Battlefield 6is expected to launch around March 2026 at the very latest, with the last few months of 2025 being the most likely contender for its release window.
Fans Can Now Directly Feel the Pros and Cons of Class-Locked Weapons In-Game Prior to BF6’s Release
In this controversial early playtesting, any weapon could be used across any class. This came with a caveat, however, with each class having “signature weapons” that give passive perks and bonuses when being used by the correct class. To many fans ofclassicBattlefieldexperiences, this still stood too far against the grain of what the franchise should be all about. Having clearly heard these criticisms, DICE has confirmed that players can choose between non-class-locked and class-locked playlists forBattlefield 6’s Open Beta.
It remains to be seen which of these approaches DICE will end up choosing for the final product ofBattlefield 6, with the Open Beta being the now-or-never window for fans to have their say on which approach is best. Class-locked weapons have played a huge part in establishingBattlefield’s gameplay niche over the years, with its potential absence inBF6seemingly going completely against the project’s traditional values. This could end up being a defining issue forBattlefield 6’s early reception, yet it seems as if DICE is willing to give the mechanic another chance asBF6enters its largest playtesting milestone yet.
