Despite the ambitious launch of Season 2, the overall player numbers of Battlefield 6 haven’t really been able to see a recovery so far and in fact, continues to dwindle, especially compared to several other shooters on Steam. However, Battlefield Studios is hoping to change things with the next phase of Season 2 which will introduce Nighttime game modes set on the Hagental Base map, multiple new vehicles, brand new weapons and more that will definitely bring a breath of fresh air in the usual gameplay experience of Battlefield 6.
In a recent interview with IGN, Ripple Effect studio design director Justin Wiebe talked about how the upcoming Nighttime modes can help shake things up for good in Battlefield 6:
“…obviously, players have been asking for large maps, and one thing to stress is this was in development before we even had that feedback from the community. Some maps take a while to build. However, we are also extremely excited about this map because it is a subterranean map, and it’s going to focus on a lot more close-quarters combat. Think a little closer to an Operation Metro kind of vibe with it, except that it’s also going to be featured in the dark.”
“That darkness is going to bring all kinds of different tactics to the foreground that, again, can thematically change it up and make it feel a little bit fresh for players to have something completely different than what they’ve already been experiencing. There’s going to be a variety of different modes that are going to be featured on it. So, for example, Team Deathmatch, Squad Deathmatch, and Domination.”
“Those are all going to take place inside of this nighttime environment, and with that nighttime environment, it’s really going to let players use different strategies or tactics they may not have otherwise used before. Just to give you a few examples: night vision goggles are going to be available for all classes. It’s not something where some people are going to have it, and some people don’t. Everybody gets night vision goggles to cut through the darkness completely. However, it does have a limited battery life, so you actually have to strategize on when you’re going to be able to use it. When’s the right time to put it on or take it off?”
He also described how the gameplay is going to feel in the new nighttime modes and the tension it’ll create on a moment-to-moment basis:
“But it’s not complete dark all the time; there are other light sources that can give you a reprieve, or maybe it’s a safe space where you want to turn it off and just let it recharge a little bit before throwing it on. Then there’s the aspect of counterplay, so if you know that other players are using night vision goggles, you can also use other abilities to take advantage of that.”
“For example, you could shine flashlights at them. A lot of people have been using [Incendiary Grenades], and it’s been sort of a resurgence of [Incendiary Grenades] being used tactically to force people to take that split second to turn it off, while you can then gain the upper hand on them.”
Wiebe also said that the ongoing fan feedback for Battlefield 6 is extremely vital for the studio moving forward with the game:
“That’s the main thing to take away here: It’s not like, ‘Hey, we crafted this massive plan, and we’re going to hold to it.’ It’s like, no. Anything can change based on what is going on with the community, what is going on with the feedback, and what we’re seeing from the game.”
The full interview contains more detail on the second phase of Season 2 in Battlefield 6 so make sure to read it.
