If you played the Battlefield 6 beta, you probably noticed that the vehicles, from tanks to jeeps, felt a little squishy. It seemed like every time you got behind the wheel of a tank, you were immediately swarmed by an army of engineers with rocket launchers and anti-tank mines, and a single infantry soldier was more of a threat than your vehicle was to them.
It turns out that this was an intentional design choice, as Battlefield 6’s lead producer, David Sirland, confirmed that the team would rather have “too weak vehicles over too powerful” when starting out. This whole conversation started with a leaked gameplay video from the “Operation Firestorm” map that showed an engineer perched on a high tower, sniping other players while also using their rocket launcher to attack vehicles.
Vehicles Will Need More Adjusting After Battlefield 6’s Release
A Battlefield YouTuber named GhostGaming used this clip as a perfect example of why the new “open weapons” ruleset is broken. Under this system, any class can use any weapon, which GhostGaming argued creates “ridiculously broken combinations”. Sirland responded to the post, saying he didn’t see it as a problem and that this type of gameplay isn’t really effective anyway unless the player is in an easily protected spot.
The most interesting part of the exchange came when someone else pointed out that “infantry is more dangerous to vehicles than vehicles are to infantry”. Sirland agreed, saying that it’s a “balance issue wholesale” and that the studio is actively working on it. The developers are prioritizing making vehicles too weak rather than too strong. This is because, according to Sirland, it’s a “tricky one as players get better at using them over time as well”.
The developers are pretty understanding, since they know you’re not playing with the best PC, and are planning for bigger maps. However, the idea is to avoid issues like an “overpowering meta” where vehicles dominate the battlefield and make the game feel unfair to infantry players. This approach is designed to evolve with the player base, so as people get better at piloting and driving, the vehicles can be adjusted to feel fair within the larger battlefield.
Sirland’s comments show a glimpse into the intricacies of game balancing. It’s a continuous process, and the developers are trying to anticipate how players will behave and how the game’s meta will evolve after launch. They’re not just balancing the game for today’s players, but for how they’ll be playing in a few months. It’s a fearful gamble, for sure, but it makes sense when you consider the alternative. Imagine if the vehicles were completely overpowered at launch. It would be a nightmare for players and would likely make people quit the game entirely.
Battlefield 6 Will Have Vehicles That Are Balanced Correctly Eventually
While this is probably a good thing for the game’s health in the long run, it was definitely frustrating for those of us who played the beta. For four long days, I watched as my teammates ignored my friendly honks and chose to run an extra 30 seconds rather than get in my vehicle. I can’t say I blame them, though, since it was a death trap!
We’ll see what’s in store for vehicle armor when Battlefield 6 launches on October 10. With the developers actively working on this, we should expect to see some changes that make vehicles feel a little more durable and a little more like the powerful machines they’re supposed to be. It’s a great sign that they’re listening to player feedback, and it gives me hope that Battlefield 6 will be in a much better place at launch.
Source: David Sirland/X
