Battlefield 6

Battlefield 6 marked its first anniversary on October 10. It ranked 37th in Steam's most-played chart for October 9 (UTC), with a peak of 38,547 concurrent players that day[1]. Next week brings a busy schedule. Season 5, the first season of the game's second year, begins on October 13, when it also joins Xbox Game Pass. The full game will be available to try from October 15 to 19[3][4][5]. This article is based on the Steam store, official EA announcements and Xbox Wire as of October 11, 2026.

Four-player squads among tanks and helicopters

Battlefield 6 is a military first-person shooter developed by Battlefield Studios and published by EA. All-out warfare, with infantry, tanks and fighter jets fighting on the same battlefield, is a defining feature of the series. Its Steam description also highlights destruction that lets players break apart their surroundings to create advantageous positions[2]. Players choose from four classes, Assault, Engineer, Support and Recon, and divide responsibilities among their squadmates[4].

The game includes both single-player and online multiplayer, with cross-platform play supported[2]. It supports English text and voice[2]. EA has added content across four seasons over the past year. The company says it has brought back series favorites Railway to Golmud and Wake Island, while also introducing naval warfare[4].

The war moves to Las Vegas on October 13

Season 5 is called "Siege of Vegas." Two maps arrive on its opening day. Vegas Strip takes players through casinos, hotels, streets and underground drainage tunnels. Area 51 combines armored combat in the desert with close-quarters fighting in underground facilities[3]. Four weapons also arrive on day one: the Mk 24 assault rifle, RSPR submachine gun, Z84M light machine gun and ELR-40 bolt-action sniper rifle[3].

Free-to-play battle royale REDSEC is getting "Rapid Royale," a new format with fewer players and shorter matches. It offers three-player teams and solo play[3]. A limited-time Dead Space crossover event is scheduled for Halloween. The European Casino map, built for indoor infantry combat, arrives on November 10, followed by Platoons and a server browser on December 8[3]. One mode is also coming to an end. Gauntlet closes on October 13, when Season 5 begins[3].

A $69.99 base game, free battle royale and seasonal passes

The base game costs $69.99 on the US Steam store[2]. If you only want battle royale, you can download REDSEC for free. An EA account and a persistent internet connection are required, and your progress carries over if you buy the base game later. REDSEC is available through the EA app, Steam and Epic Games Store, and on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S[6].

The Battle Pass is a separate purchase each season. Anyone with the base game or REDSEC can earn the free-tier rewards. The paid Battle Pass is purchased with the in-game currency Battlefield Coins and costs 1,100 coins, according to EA Help. It also includes a 10% XP boost. The higher-tier Battlefield Pro can only be bought with real money. It includes 25 tier skips, a 15% XP boost and exclusive rewards[7]. Season 4 Battlefield Pro was priced at $24.99 on the US Steam store[8]. A new pass is released each season, so continuing to buy Pro means paying that cost again each season.

On PC, check Secure Boot first

The minimum PC requirements are Windows 10, an Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600, 16GB of RAM, a GeForce RTX 2060, Radeon RX 5600 XT 6GB or Intel Arc A380, and 55GB of storage. TPM 2.0 and UEFI Secure Boot must also be enabled[2]. Even a sufficiently powerful graphics card will not make the PC meet the requirements if Secure Boot is disabled in the motherboard settings. The recommended specifications are Windows 11, an Intel Core i7-10700 or AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, a GeForce RTX 3060 Ti-class graphics card and 80GB of storage[2]. An EA account must be linked even if you buy the game on Steam[2].

The game is rated M by the ESRB[2]. It is best suited to players who can form a squad with three or four friends and divide up the class roles. If battle royale is all you want, it is better to try free-to-play REDSEC before buying the base game. Anyone whose PC cannot enable Secure Boot will need to look into console or cloud options.

Five days to try before you buy

For newcomers, this week offers a chance to decide with minimal expense. From October 13, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play through cloud gaming, Xbox Series X|S and PC at no additional cost[5]. If you do not have a subscription, wait for the full-game trial running from October 15 to 19. EA says trial dates may vary by platform, so check the details on your chosen storefront first[3]. If a few matches on the two new maps during the trial leave you enjoying squad-based all-out warfare, there is enough reason to pay $69.99.

Sources

[1] Valve. Steam Most-Played Games API. Data for October 9, 2026 (UTC). Accessed October 11, 2026.

[2] Valve. Battlefield 6 Steam store page (US). Includes price, release date, supported languages, system requirements and age rating. Accessed October 11, 2026.

[3] EA. Season 5 Roadmap: The Siege of Vegas Begins. Official Battlefield 6 news, October 9, 2026.

[4] EA. Battlefield 6/REDSEC: Looking Ahead To Season 5 And Beyond. Official Battlefield 6 news, October 1, 2026.

[5] Xbox Wire. Coming to Xbox Game Pass: Battlefield 6, Valor Mortis, Forever Ago, and More. October 7, 2026.

[6] EA Help. Battlefield REDSEC free-to-play. Accessed October 11, 2026.

[7] EA Help. Battlefield 6 Battle Pass and events guide. Accessed October 11, 2026.

[8] Valve. Season 4 Battlefield Pro Steam store page (US). Accessed October 11, 2026.