It’s safe to say thatBattlefield 6has come in swinging lately, with a reveal trailer that has got even some of the most staunchCall of Dutyfans thinking of making the switch. Boasting what looks like a complete return to form, full of grit, realism and a commitment to immersion unseen sinceBattlefield 1, the modern-day setting has made a lot of fans excited thatBattlefieldas they remember it is back. Indeed, it really seems to be channeling the energy ofBF3andBF4from its sound design to a more grounded approach to combat. But there is one very important area thatBattlefield 6is deliberately avoiding in the hopes that another feature can cover for it.
As many players are excited to get to grips withBattlefield 6’s open beta, some interesting information has been made public inBF6’s FAQ. According to DICE, players looking for a server browser can find one inBattlefield 6’s Portal, leaving the biggest admission left unsaid. This means that, just like2042, the main experience ofBattlefield 6will not have a server browser. It is hard to argue that Portal really counts as DICE providing one, as it is a separate mode within the base game with servers designed to be a lot more creative than the core experience.
Battlefield 6’s Lack of a Server Browser Is Its Most Disappointing Reveal Yet
Server browsers have been key to theBattlefieldexperience ever since the series started. Yes, there were plenty of official servers to play on in the past, but as players got to grips with each new game, the community would often develop certain preferences. The server browser served as a way for players to pick and choose which lobby to be a part of, and fine tune their preferences. If players didn’t like the official ones, then there would often be a number of custom servers that tweaked rules ever so slightly, whether by changing tickrates, spawn rates, map rotation and more. It was these small tweaks that made manyBattlefieldgames have such enduring legacies, as communities of their own could form around servers, and players could curate the best experience for themselves.
Battlefield 6 is rumored to be including SBMM, a big change from previous titles.
But even beyond player choice, it was good to be able to jump between even official servers.Battlefield’s cheating problem is historic, and EA hopes to stop this withBattlefield 6’s proprietary Javelin anti-cheat, but sometimes just jumping between servers was a good enough way to avoid the problem. Without a server browser, players are at the mercy of an automatic queue placing them in potentially the exact same server every time they search, with no control. It seems clear that DICE, without saying so, is against server browsers, and the way they have been gradually phased out of the series is testament to that.
Dice’s Answer to No Server Browser Is Portal, but There’s a Big Problem
Going by DICE’s statement, it apparently sees Portal as the mode intended for players who want to browse experiences, but it comes with a huge caveat. Namely, Portal is an offshoot of the main game, and the traffic going into Portal will be far lower than in DICE’s curated matchmaking system. This means that community-operated servers cannot sit side by side with DICE’s official offering, making it much harder for the game to build those long-lasting communities in the first place. Additionally,Battlefield 6’s Portal is envisioned as a creative space, not so much as a place for mildly tweaking rulesets, and players might not find the “vanilla plus” experience they are looking for among dozens of XP farms and quirky game modes.
Battlefield 6
WHERE TO PLAY
Lock & load for the ultimate all-out warfare experience. Fight in high-intensity infantry combat. Rip through the skies in aerial dogfights. Demolish your environment for a strategic advantage. In a war of tanks, fighter jets, and massive combat arsenals, your squad is the deadliest weapon. This is Battlefield 6.
