Battlefield 6 fans have been largely positive on the leaks and rumors for the game thus far, as the series’ return is shaping up to please fans. However, the latest rumor is a bit more divisive, as it suggests that Battlefield 6 may not have a campaign. The report comes from Tom Henderson, an insider that has proven reputable several times in the past. Thus far, fans seem to be split on the news.
While Henderson does assure Battlefield 6 fans that a campaign is possible, he has not heard of its existence from an info dump. With this apparently being very strange, and the leaker also pointing out that there was no campaign mentioned in EA’s latest investors call, it is easy to see why Henderson is doubtful. At the same time, it is understandable why fans are responding both positively and negatively to this news, as there are some major pros and cons to the lack of a campaign.
Con: Disappointing News For Fans Of Battlefield's War Stories
The biggest con with Battlefield 6 skipping a campaign is obvious, as fans of the franchise’s story modes will be let down. While the campaigns of Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4 never caught on, they did have their fans. Further, the Battlefield: Bad Company series was popular largely because of its story offerings. The mainline series also seemed to find its groove with War Stories, the singleplayer system introduced in Battlefield 1 and brought over to Battlefield 5.
Battlefield’s War Stories focused on telling different tales from the factions involved in a war, giving gamers a look at the different sides of a conflict. Players filled the shoes of tank crew members, fighter pilots, and regular soldiers as they fought in locations around the world. Throughout these short two-hour stories, gamers were given insight into the different cultures and people of the time. War Stories worked well due to an overall feeling of respect for World War 1 and World War 2 veterans, as the mini campaigns often featured a serious tone. While this would not work as well with a fully fictional, modern war, the news is still a bit disappointing for those that enjoyed War Stories.
Pro: Replacing Battlefield 6's Campaign With Something Better
However, one positive takeaway from the lack of a campaign is that it frees up time and resources to add something else to the game. Battlefield can look to its competition for inspiration here, with 2018’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 thriving despite the lack of a story mode. In its place was the series’ first foray into the battle royale genre, with Call of Duty’s Blackout mode being remembered fondly to this day. As such, while Battlefield fans may be bummed about the campaign news, they should wait to see if something else is coming in its place.
Battlefield 6 could be bringing something in place of a campaign that covers new ground, with rumors of another battle royale attempt already beginning to spread. While the battle royale genre is not for everyone, there is no denying its popularity, and the mode could provide a larger portion of players with hours upon hours of content. Battlefield 6’s rumored battle royale mode certainly has potential due to the game’s unique reliance on vehicles, and its large maps allow for plenty of content possibilities. Outside of a battle royale mode, DICE could make good on the teases for a dino mode, delivering a wacky co-op mode to rival Call of Duty Zombies. Regardless, something could fill a campaign’s shoes, and whatever it is could please far more people than those that enjoy Battlefield’s story modes.
Con: A Lack Of Context For Battlefield 6’s Story
One thing that Battlefield campaigns have always done well is establishing a respective game’s setting. Through a story mode, players can learn about the war and the people fighting within it, adding more weight to multiplayer matches. This added context was always welcome, as it explained why Battlefield fans were fighting. However, Battlefield 6 could lack this story setup, leaving the game without much of a narrative for gamers to build from. While this is not too troubling from a character perspective, as the protagonists outside of the Battlefield: Bad Company games have always been lacking, having no story could be a bit confusing.
Based on the rumors thus far, Battlefield 6 may not have faction-based multiplayer. Supposedly, the backstory will focus on soldiers and mercenaries from around the world joining the side of America or Russia, assisting the highest bidder in the conflict. With this backstory sounding complex, and details on the war itself limited, it sounds like it is ripe for exploration in a campaign. Unfortunately, that might not be happening, with this premise being given a menu description or a load-up cinematic instead. While Call of Duty’s Seasonal storytelling has shown that a story can be progressed in multiplayer, having no campaign to build from will surely be a challenge.
Pro: Doubling Down On Battlefield 6's Multiplayer Content
For those that do not care about storytelling in Battlefield and prefer the games for their multiplayer, the news of new campaign could be a major positive. With DICE not needing to put the time into a story mode, all its effort can be focused on making Battlefield 6’s multiplayer as good as it can be. Players could end up getting more maps, more vehicles, more weapons, and more game modes, with more consistent support arriving after launch. With online play being the bread and butter of Battlefield, ensuring that fans are blown away in this area should be a priority.
If there is no campaign available, features like Battlefield 6’s hub system would make sense, as DICE will have had the time and budget to design such a system. Supposedly giving players access to playlists with weapons, vehicles, and maps from various Battlefield games, gamers could supposedly experience content from every era of Battlefield in the new game. Explaining its rumored title of “Battlefield” well, the addition of features from Battlefield: 1942 and Battlefield: Bad Company could be interesting. While Battlefield 6’s modern gameplay would supposedly be the focus, having parts of other games in the re-launch could be fun.
While a potential soft reboot for Battlefield not having a campaign is odd, it is not without its advantages. If the decision to skip a story mode results in more or better multiplayer content, most fans should not be too bothered by the omission. Further, if it results in a battle royale mode or a co-op offering instead, players could end up with a mode they get dozens of hours out of as opposed to a brief story offering. While this rumored lack of a campaign is a bummer for those that loved Battlefield’s past singleplayer modes, fans should not view it as a negative until they have more details about what the game will feature in its place.
Battlefield 6 is currently in development.