Battlefield's playtest is giving us plenty of sneaky peeks at what's to come in EA's shooter, and developer DICE has "loads of feedback from the very active testers selected." Unlike Battlefield 2042's lukewarm reception, fans seem pretty pleased with what they've seen so far, and the leaks have been so impressive, EA's not even trying to take them down yet.
While the Battlefield team has teased there's still more tests to come to give more players a chance to get involved, we've pulled together all the improvements and new features we've spotted so far.
Battlefield 6 has a drag mechanic
Perhaps most notable is the ability to drag wounded allies away to safety. At the time of writing, a video clip on the Battlefield subreddit showing off the new feature has had almost 8,000 upvotes.
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In a post on X, Battlefield lead producer, David Sirland, confirmed he was "not okay with leaks," hinting that "[leakers] are [being] dealt with accordingly." Despite this, however, Sirland acknowledged that the new drag and revive feature is a key part of the "revive loop," adding: "I am expecting to see some interesting use in the next test on labs."
"With this feature, there's more of that fun interaction with more pieces to the puzzle," he teased. "There's some really fun combinations that can happen (it's cancellable at any time with hold version). I can't wait for you guys to start finding out what they are."
Battlefield 6 lets you cling on to vehicles
It also looks as though players can cling to vehicles, too, either to get around the map quicker or lie in wait for a perfect sneaky ambush. While some players still aren't sure if the images are merely enter/exit animations, this feature was rumored some time ago, and it appears the playtest now confirms it.
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Battlefield 6 has improved in-game movement
There's also been a lot of positive chatter about in-game movement, too, with improved and/or reintroduced movement features such as crouch sprint, combat dive, and landing roll, as well as new visual indicators "to make it easier to understand when movements such as vaulting or leaning are possible."
Battlefield 6 reportedly has 3D maps
3D maps are back as well. According to sources who've played the pre-alpha playtest, it looks as though both the mini-map and the spawn screen maps are 3D. This makes it easier to see the elevation of tall buildings and landscapes, helping you choose the perfect spawn point. The last time we saw 3D maps in Battlefield was in 2018's Battlefield 5.
Battlefield 6 has improved destruction
Environmental destruction — a key part of Battlefield's appeal that can be used to give players a tactical advantage — is similarly beefed up, as this brief clip, with over 9000 upvotes and 600 comments, shows.
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As for what's next? Lead producer Sirland revealed DICE now has "loads of feedback from the very active testers selected […] in good amounts and in the right areas for us to be able to use it."
"There is a rationale to the approach we are taking, and it's working well so far. There will be more tests and we'll open up to more over time," he added.
Have we missed your favorite feature or mechanic? Let us know in the comments below.
EA has been playing its cards pretty close to its chest about the new Battlefield, and we still don't know when, exactly, it will launch. But EA's last financial report suggested it'll come sometime between April 2025 and March 2026.
Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
