The next Battlefield Labs testing period kicks off soon, and now Battlefield Studios has revealed what testers can expect–and it includes the first big map and the server browser.
Server browser
The server browser in Battlefield 6 is limited to the game’s Portal mode, a decision that players have made their feelings known about. For the upcoming test, the developer said the main goal is to “observe how it works in practice, with initial feedback focusing on accessibility and UI clarity.”
Battlefield Studios said people should know that what they are seeing only represents a non-final version of the feature. For the Labs test, it is “intentionally limited,” the developer said.
A future Labs test for the Server Browser may expand its functionality to include things like server hosting, with Battlefield Studios seeking to test how easy it is to set up and launch player-owned servers, alter the server descriptions, and join matches.
A server browser allows players to pick and choose the exact maps and modes they want to play, but there will not be a server browser for the main matchmaking servers. A producer asked fans why they would even want that, and players sent in a lot of feedback.
In response, producer David Sirland said that the Portal server browser “is basically enabling” what fans are asking for. While Portal’s main selling points are user-created game modes and custom experiences, Sirland said that the mode still fulfills the main function of a server browser, even if players may have to filter out the verified servers from the custom experiences.
Bigger maps
In terms of bigger maps, Battlefield Studios said it heard the feedback that the Battlefield 6 open beta maps were small. As it turns out, that was apparently by design, with Battlefield Studios saying the aim of the beta was to test the “fundamentals of gameplay,” including movement, gunplay, and destruction. The new maps in upcoming Labs tests include Operation Firestorm–a remake of the popular Battlefield 3 map–and Mirak Valley. These are larger-scale maps featuring more vehicles and aircraft than what players saw in the open beta.
“We aim to validate gameplay balance on these new locations and compare it against previously tested maps,” Battlefield Studios said.
If you took part in a Labs test before the open beta, you’re automatically in for future tests. Everyone else, however, has to sign up for Labs and hope to be chosen. You can sign up for Labs here.
Anyone accepted into the Labs program has to sign an NDA that forbids them from sharing footage online. Despite that, lots of footage from previous Labs tests emerged online, and it’s expected that will happen again with the next round of testing.
Battlefield 6 launches on October 10 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. It’s the first new entry in the series since 2021’s poorly received Battlefield 2042. The sentiment around Battlefield 6 is coming in pretty positive at this stage, but it’s far too soon to say the game will be a success at launch.
