Battlefield 6 doesn't need to copy Call of Duty multiplayer to be successful

First-person shooter fans are happy to finally be playing Battlefield 6 on consoles and PC. Many are joyful to see the series return to form, with it's different class loadouts and emphasis on teamwork in big battles. But some were worried that the game would borrow too much from other successful multiplayer first-person shooters to be relevant among players today. Much of this worry came from Battlefield 6 giving players the option to customize their loadouts before a match. But Battlefield fans won't have to worry about things changing too much, especially when there's already something there that will keep everyone playing for a long time.

A game like Battlefield 6 doesn't need to copy elements from other successful games like Call of Duty in order to be a major success now. People love what the series has always done to differentiate itself from other franchises, especially what many consider to be its biggest competition in multiplayer gaming. While many Call of Duty players might find themselves diving into Battlefield 6 at some point, the core game is still going to be what the series has always established itself as, and not cater to what's the hot trend right now. Here's why Battlefield 6 doesn't need to copy Call of Duty multiplayer to be successful on consoles and PC.

Sticking to the plan

What the series is good at

If there's one thing that Battlefield games are good at putting together, it's a wartime experience online for players that feels grounded. Battles are fierce, but never to the point of being too fantastical in the wrong ways. There's a strong sense of realism that encourages players to find clever ways to complete objectives and eliminate enemy players, pushing everyone to work with teammates and execute things as a unit. It's something that many Battlefield fans feel makes the game more fair and balanced, while also tougher to get good at against other players online.

What makes games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 so appealing is how the action-movie-like fantasy can be applied to a military shooter. It looks and sounds great, but still has a big element of fantasy that don't feel as grounded as something like Battlefield. The game makes everyone feel like they're the main character, being able to move around and use weapons in ways that make them appear like Rambo or The Terminator. Being a one-man army against enemy players is where Call of Duty shines the most in a multiplayer setting, at least for those who enjoy playing it. Crazy kills from ridiculous vantage points or setups can make for hype-inducing moments online. It's a very different type of tone for a game that can be just as chaotic online, but manages to really step far away from the realism that other military shooters find their footing in.

This is something that Battlefield 6 doesn't need to emulate in any way. The core aspects of classic Battlefield games are rooted in realism that doesn't have players going rogue in matches, even when they're alone and away from teammates. When a good team in Battlefield 6 works together very well, they are able to capture objectives and take out other players with a high level of efficiency and prowess. It's a different kind of tone that feels closer to what a military shooter is trying to accomplish for its true experience. And that's something that Battlefield would never want to see compromised.

No battle royale necessary

Extra fluff nobody needs

One of the biggest trends for most modern shooters is the inclusion of new rising game types. The biggest of these is the battle royale mode, which became popular after games like Fortnite and P.U.B.G. were the first titles to include it. When this became very successful, other franchises like Call of Duty adopted the design of battle royale into their own games. This created what we know now as Call of Duty: Warzone, and has become a massive part of the franchise ever since. Although this was a success for the Call of Duty player base, it's not something that every franchise needs to include in order to make things better going forward.

The truth is that Battlefield 6 doesn't need a battle royale style of game mode to be added to it, nor should the series ever explore it. It's a game type that focuses on being solo against everyone else, not putting together squads of people for major battles. Some of the crazier parts of battle royale modes are how over-the-top things can get with new content, as well as gameplay mechanics that twist up how matches are played. All of it steps far outside the bounds of reality-based shooters, opting to throw anything at the wall and see how it works with everything else. Some people enjoy that because it can be silly fun, but it's not something that would work well with Battlefield, nor are the fans of the series wanting to see it happen.

Some may argue that the map design and inclusion of things like vehicles and objective points would fit with a battle royale style of game mode. But within the large maps of Battlefield 6, players are looking to hop into vehicles with allies to take over points and destroy nearby buildings with enemies inside. What's the purpose of taking that away for matches that involve solo players trying to skirmish against one another? It wouldn't add to the core formula of the series, but instead take things away for the sake of trying to be like other franchises.

Classes are the heart of battles

Not being a clone of other shooters

Something that Battlefield 6 does now is allow players to customize their loadouts for each class. While there are options to switch up weapons and equipment, the customization doesn't get too deep or radical for a given class. This is just enough to keep things traditional with Battlefield 6 in comparison to the rest of the series, where choosing a class and finding a role is key to fighting with teammates. Everybody can fulfill a role for the squad, and do what they can to help win a match. Going outside that role can lead to disastrous results and cost the team the match. It's a good approach to making matches seem fair and even on all sides, which most Battlefield players find to be better to play than what Call of Duty games usually are.

This is something that Call of Duty games just do not focus on, and instead open up the floodgates for players to customize their full loadout. This is fine for a game that is less based on reality when it comes to the actual fighting, especially when someone can freely move around a map using a sniper rifle like an assault rifle in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. Things can get over the top since there is no limit to what is possible and could be done during a match. With everyone fighting alone, there's no real need to have a role to help the team, everyone is out for themselves. Whatever works at the moment just works, and the chaos goes on from there.

This is why classes in Battlefield 6 limit players so much, but offer enough for them to contribute to the match in different ways. It allows players to work together, in their roles, complimenting others and coming together as a unit. No player is ever truly overpowered when they can't do much of what other classes can do, especially when the weapon and equipment options are so different. This can be applied to running on foot, piloting vehicles, capturing key points, and even helping teammates out during firefights.

Keeping the main thing as the main thing

Now that Battlefield 6 is finally out on all platforms, people are feeling the difference in how it plays in comparison to Call of Duty titles. It's a game that doesn't give a lot of room for gamers to play recklessly and become a lone wolf for the majority of the time. Instead, Battlefield 6 forces players to think differently in how they approach matches and work together with teammates in achieving victory. This makes the game stand apart from what everyone expects to see in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 when it finally releases, and that's for the best. The people who are tired of what they've been getting from the Call of Duty series are looking for something different overall, and will gravitate towards games like Battlefield 6. Because of that, the game already has people interested in it on that alone, and it doesn't need to copy its competition in order to be successful after release.