After several years on the sidelines, hype for the next Battlefield is starting to grow. Initial hands-on impressions, including our own, have been positive, and early footage is doing everything it can to channel the vibes of the series’ peak with Battlefield 3 and 4. One thing that fans worry could throw a wrench in that plan is the modern multiplayer obsession with profiting off of licensed skins and other silly cosmetics. They can be fun. They can also turn a supposedly gritty military shooter into a playground for branded cosplay. But it sounds like Battlefield 6 plans to avoid that siren call altogether.
“It has to be grounded. That is what BF3 and BF4 was—it was all soldiers, on the ground. It’s going to be like this,” EA DICE design director Shashank Uchil told DBLTAP at a preview event in London this week. “I don’t think it needs Nicki Minaj. Let’s keep it real, keep it grounded.” The sentiment was echoed elsewhere as well. “What I will say is what’s really important to us is that things feel grounded, and we want people to express themselves and to have cool skins and peacock in a way like ‘I look pretty cool and I have this great weapon skin,’” DICE producer Alexia Christofi told ComicBook. “But we want it to feel authentic to the franchise, that’s the approach we’re thinking.”
Queen of Rap Nicki Minaj came to Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare II back in 2023. It caught players completely by surprise and pushed the envelop on the types of celebrity collaborations fans expected in gaming. It was also just the beginning of a flood of crossover content that would overtake the traditional Call of Duty experience, with players just as likely to be running around as Beavis and Butthead or Rick and Morty. While Activision was making bank, players were getting burnt out. “‘This is Incredibly Lame’ Call of Duty Fans Unhappy With Seth Rogen Skin,” read one headline from earlier this year.
Of course, the reason Call of Duty, Fortnite, and other big shooters sell goofy skins is because that’s what players will actually fork over money for. Activision makes more from microtransactions than it does from selling the actual games. So does EA. Fans might be relieved to see Battlefield 6 bucking one of its biggest rival’s biggest trends, but we’ll see how long DICE can stick to its guns if the game delivers on the vision its developers are promising.
