Battlefield Studios, consisting of four development teams for Battlefield 6, has promised players that the upcoming installment will be a gritty, realistic shooter without the inclusion of goofy skins. This assurance comes in light of the struggles faced by its competitor, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, which recently retracted some of its cosmetic choices following significant backlash. Battlefield Studios aims to assure its community that it seeks to maintain a serious tone and will not degenerate into a colorful spectacle akin to Fortnite.

Aside from updates related to Battlefield 2042, the franchise has been notably quiet for four years. During this hiatus, there have been significant shifts, especially regarding cosmetic items and microtransactions within games. Players have expressed their dissatisfaction with unrealistic skins in what they perceive as grounded first-person shooters. Acknowledging this criticism, Activision admitted its deviation from the essence of Call of Duty, promising substantial adjustments for the upcoming installment of the series, Black Ops 7.

Battlefield 6 Developers Aim for Realism

Before Activision’s new changes were unveiled, such as the cancellation of Carry Forward for Black Ops 7, the franchise was facing tremendous backlash over its unrealistic cosmetic items. In an interview with IGN, Battlefield Studios spoke on the controversy and reassured fans of its commitment to grounding the game. Technical Director Christian Buhl remarked, “Other games can and should be whatever they want to be, right? Fortnite is pretty goofy, and that game is pretty good. So, I think where we end up is we’re pretty happy with where we are. We are a gritty, grounded, realistic shooter.”

Senior Console Combat Designer Matthew Nickerson added that Battlefield is conscious of trends in other games, yet insists that the studio is focused on executing what works for Battlefield. “We’re not chasing trends. We’re not chasing other products,” he stated. He referred to the recent Road to Battlefield 6 Battle Pass in Battlefield 2042 as an example of the style of skins that will adorn the next installment, calling it a taste of what’s to come.

While the developers affirm that the skins in Battlefield 6 will be realistic and consistent with the game’s theme, some concerns linger among fans. Recently, a leaked skin featuring neon green accents on a soldier’s uniform sparked discussions, prompting some community members to advocate against potentially unrealistic skins in Battlefield 6, expressing fears that they could lead to even more exaggerated cosmetic designs.