Right now, next to nothing is known about the Ubisoft's upcoming Far Cry 6 and Electronic Arts' Battlefield 6. Each game won't even likely release until 2021, as EA PLAY just briefly teased Battlefield, and there's no telling what Ubisoft will show off at Ubisoft Forward.
However, there's a lot of buzz around one key word for each game: location. Insiders have seemingly indicated over the course of a few weeks that Far Cry 6's location would be "interesting" and Battlefield 6 will be modern. Yet there's little reason that Battlefield 6 can't be both.
Far Cry 6 Location
Looking at the Far Cry franchise, it's a safe bet and likely prediction that the next game would have an interesting location. Far Cry 3 took players to the tropical Rook Island, Far Cry 4 took players into the Himalayas, and Far Cry 5 took players into the backwoods of Montana. And that's only the most recent, core entries. It's uncertain exactly where Far Cry 6 goes, but it's a sure bet that the setting will be as important as the story. In fact, it's what the franchise is known for.
These settings often accentuate the story and are key elements of the franchise's story telling. Each game only makes sense in the context of its setting, and each time, the location looks better than the last. Assuming Far Cry 6 releases on PS5 and Xbox Series X, it seems certain that the location will be interesting and beautiful, and bring the franchise forward. Players may be excited to see who the next antagonist will be, the overall view of the story, but they are as equally excited to see the reveal of a setting, something that can't be said for some games.
Battlefield 6 Location
That's not to say that the Battlefield franchise hasn't had "interesting" locations—France, Italy, the Gallipolli Peninsula, Norway, just to name a few and far more. However, even when accentuated with Battlefield's trademark capabilities of destruction, these areas don't really come to life. They simply serve as a historical backdrop for a short story, a far cry from...well, Far Cry. Of course, there's two things that need to be addressed in this comparison: genre and environmental storytelling.
Both may be shooters, but Far Cry is an action-adventure franchise too. Players are able to stop and take in their surrounding areas much better than a war-focused first-person shooter. It's not impossible, but for it to work out as well and especially among its competition, Battlefield 6 would really need to emphasize the influence of the war on surrounding areas, moreso than in the past.
While these may just be historical backdrops so far, they still have incredibly important stories to tell. Battlefield 6 can't stop and smell the roses, but it can ensure players see the rose's last petal fall, can make them what to take the area back from enemies, and much more. In short, it would be an uphill battle in many ways, but if Battlefield 6's modern setting can be as "interesting" as Far Cry 6, that's a simple recipe for success.
Battlefield 6 and Far Cry 6 are in development.