Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
EA has confirmed the start of the Battlefield 6 open beta once again.
The beta starts this August 14, Thursday, at 08:00 UTC. Fans datamined the download sizes for this new beta across different platforms:
- 3.1 GB on Steam
- 4.1 GB on the EA App
- 547 MB on Xbox
- 380 MB on PlayStation
They also made a strange observation. It’s the same version of the game as last week, Ver. 0.17.0. But the code and data have been changed.
But if you think about it, this is a good sign. Battlefield Studios are changing some things with this round of playtests. Not all of them are necessarily improvements from last week. Ultimately, they will collect their findings and use it to make the final game the best it can be.
A New Feature Makes Fans Excited – And Also Annoyed
EA announced one feature they’re adding this time around:
Based on your previous feedback and to give you more control over map and mode selection, we’re introducing a new feature called Custom Search.
This feature allows you to choose your favorite combinations of maps and modes. For example, if you want to play Conquest on Siege of Cairo, then matchmaking will prioritize putting you in a match with this combo, if available. Note that this is not a Server Browser (which is not being tested this week).
During Open Beta, Custom Search will be available for Open Weapon mode playlists so you can mix and match maps and modes as you prefer.
EA did hear what fans said about a server browser. David Sirland already said his piece a few days ago. This time, they want to see fans try out something else so they can see how it works out.
“So Close To Greatness”
Content creator MoiDawg responded to this announcement:
So close to greatness.
Custom map/mode search will only be for the Open Weapon Playlist during the second beta weekend.
No reason the Closed Weapons Playlist shouldn’t have this.
I don’t want to play against Sniper Shotgun Assaults when I’m trying to play specific maps.
Battlefield Studios announced last month that players could choose between open and closed weapon playlists for the open beta.
As you may have guessed, players like MoiDawg are more interested in the closed playlists because he is one of those higher-level players looking for a particular gameplay experience.
We won’t make a judgement call if closed weapon playlists should also get custom search. But we should remember that Battlefield Studios aren’t just testing for what people’s preferences are. They’re collecting data that proves or debunks their assumptions.
This tension between the loud minority of influential high-level players and the developers who’re making the games for everyone will probably always exist. It will be interesting to see how this weekend will play out for everyone.
