[Music] By far the biggest release this year, assuming they get it out this year, will be Battlefield 6, at least incremental from last year. Obviously, Call of Duty is going to be the biggest release. So, Battlefield 6 fans are unhappy with the changes to the class system. The core is always bitching about something, right? They got to franchise can never make anybody happy. But having said that, this is actually a real big departure from the core battlefield, right? Where you have fixed classes of assault, support, engineer, and recon with fixed weapon types, right? And this does make the classes feel unique and act unique on the battlefield. So they have somewhat of a gripe here from the core perspective. So in the new battlefield, the weapons are not restricted by class. So basically the core players are arguing that removing weapon restrictions undermines the identity of the classes and their effect in gameplay. This could lead to unbalanced scenarios blah blah blah medics camping with sniper rifles
disrupting the team dynamic is what they were saying. So my sense is that this is a very easy reason, right? They're just trying to simplify this [ __ ] so they can charge more money for cosmetics, right? like they're trying to simplify the monetization by allowing broader usage of the different weapons across the different classes. And that makes it much easier to sell skins and in some ways they're actually creating a system more like obviously like Call of Duty if I were to say so that it's easy to monetize. It's also easier for progression because you can basically use progressed weapons through the different classes. It simplifies the battle pass. the the challenges are actually tied to the weapon type, not the class type. That means that everyone can participate if they use their weapons where what no matter what class they are and it also creates obviously a simpler system for pipeline for cosmetics. So that's kind of my think. It's actually really smart design from the monetization perspective and could
help like boost the longevity of the game making it easier to progress. But, you know, the core fanboys are always going to complain. And in their defense, I do think it's kind of a departure from the historical core nature of this game, but could help them monetize long term. What do you think, Mr. Adam? Teller, Mr. Product or Mr. Phil? Tap and Phil. Phil Phil was on this game. Yeah, I I worked, you know, I live in Sweden because of this company. Oh, I had no idea. I I don't I honestly didn't know that you worked on this specific game. No, no. I worked on Battlefield obviously and I I went through I mean this is like Battlefield therapy is talking about classes. So Battlefield 2042 did actually move away from this. If you remember there was a huge controversy as a part of this game and the debate is always over this operator model that Rainbow Six Siege pioneered where you're kind of like spending this fixed amount every quarter and getting like two characters. It's very easy to sell to players and creates kind of a dependable revenue stream. Although I will say like, you know, cosmetics have outgrown
a lot of the character-based monetization that people talk about. Like Riot, for instance, has grown their cosmetics inventory and their revenue share over time. Just easier to stack revenue. The pipeline for operators is slower. Gameplay is a lot slower. But this has always been the debate, you know, whether or not you lock down classes with weapons or whether or not you allow a lot of customization between every single class. I think the modernization region is complete and utter [ __ ] Eric. I'm sorry. No one cares. No, it doesn't drive that much revenue because what happens is people are still playing one gun. People do not switch classes generally. That's rare. People focus on one class and they focus on one gun. They date when new weapons come out, but ultimately like they have their long run marriage and that's ultimately where they're going to equip cosmetics to. And changing class restrictions doesn't do a lot to change that equilibria. It doesn't change the meta collection game by as much as you might imagine. That would be really far down on my list of reasons about why I would go ahead and do this. This is totally about whatever they think is best for the core gameplay. That's the only thing that should matter here. Nothing else is that significant. See, I
guess the 2042 changed the open class system over time, right? That wasn't the initial launch. Correct. Correct. And so we had always been asking UXR about this about open classes and when there are people are excited about it. But now remember they they switched kind of what was locked down and what wasn't. So remember, you had weapons that anyone could use, but if you used a weapon that had an affinity with your class, you would get like a benefit. For instance, you could hold in your breath longer if you were recon. So it still was fairly open, right? But it wasn't open at launch. They opened it up later in order to improve it for both gameplay, but also likely monetization. No, correct. Now, they were still specialists at launch, though. I know, but the weapon systems was open. Correct. Opened. Opened over time. Correct. Okay. So, this is just an extension of what they already fixed, quote unquote, fixed with 2042, which would piss people off that didn't actually play 2042 or didn't continue to play 2042. This is the first time they've actually been exposed to it. Correct. This would be a wakeup call if you skipped 2042 and are coming from
like Call of Duty or excuse me, Battlefield V. Again, so that was kind of my point. It's a departure from the core Battlefield systems that most people are used to because 2042 came out a long [ __ ] time ago and not many people play it, right? I mean, even though it's a great game, theoretically, I mean, it not theoretically, it is a great game. I mean, Battlefield always moves a lot of units. I think that's what people forget. It just struggles with long run retention. It's struggle has always been building the service. Like, even 2042 got a lot of exposure. The back catalog sells very well. I'm trying to counter your point about monetization because the only point of making these type of changes, which they already did to 2042 for obvious reasons, and they're extending it to this game, is for retention and monetization, right? Like monetization was never a part of these conversations. No one was directly thinking, okay, because we put class restrictions on, people are going to switch weapons more often than they might otherwise switch, which means they're going to buy more cosmetics than they might otherwise buy. That was never one of the motivating reasons for this change, at least internally. Okay. Well,
we will see how well they do. I am I'm rooting for Battlefield because I do think it is a great franchise. It seems like they've worked their asses off to make this game successful. So, it looks good. And it looks good. Definitely. All the labs feedback. All the labs leaks that they've got there. Looks like positive sentiment. It's good. It feels like they tried to do more with the community than they ever did in the past, which is always a good sign. Yeah. Modern military always sells well. Like that is one of the best themes you can have. That's the best setting for sure. It's just a question of how long you have to wait till you can go back to it till it's fresh again. You did it. You made it to the end of the episode. As a fan of the show, it would help us out if you'd subscribe and leave us a review on the podcast service of your choice. Those stars and likes, while small action on your part, mean a lot to us and help to grow the show. More importantly, are you a member of the Deconstructor of Fund Slack group? If you have 5 years or more of games industry experience, go to
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Battlefield 6 represents a significant evolution in the franchise’s design, specifically regarding the removal of traditional class-based weapon restrictions. Historically, the series utilized fixed classes—Assault, Support, Engineer, and Recon—with specific weapon loadouts to define team roles and gameplay identity. The shift toward an open weapon system, which allows players to equip any weapon regardless of their chosen class, has sparked debate among the core player base. Critics argue that this change undermines the tactical depth and unique team dynamics that have long defined the Battlefield experience.
Industry analysis suggests that this design shift serves two primary functions: simplifying progression systems and optimizing long-term monetization. By decoupling weapons from classes, developers can streamline battle pass challenges and create a more flexible pipeline for cosmetic sales. This approach mirrors successful models in other modern shooters, where weapon-agnostic progression allows for easier integration of skins and attachments. While some industry observers contend that these changes are primarily driven by monetization strategies, others argue that the decision is rooted in gameplay balancing and the need to improve player retention, noting that most players tend to specialize in a single class and weapon regardless of system restrictions.
This transition is not entirely unprecedented, as Battlefield 2042 experimented with similar mechanics, eventually moving toward an open weapon model post-launch to address player feedback. For the franchise, the challenge remains balancing the expectations of long-term fans who value traditional class identity with the need to modernize the game’s service model. Despite the controversy surrounding these mechanics, early sentiment regarding the upcoming title remains positive, bolstered by a return to a modern military setting, which historically performs well in the AAA shooter market.
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