EA has made Battlefield 6 free to play for a week, starting today, August 18, and running until Tuesday, August 25, across consoles and PC. The free trial coincides with the first beta for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, which runs from Friday, August 21 to Tuesday, August 25 for those who pre-ordered the game. EA also added a Top Gun crossover to Battlefield 6, featuring cosmetics and character skins based on three characters from Top Gun: Maverick – Rooster (Miles Teller), Bob (Lewis Pullman), and Warlock (Charles Parnell) – all voiced by their original actors. Tom Cruise's character, Maverick, is notably absent.
Deliberate Undercutting
The timing appears deliberate, as EA aims to undercut Activision's plans and keep Call of Duty on a downward trajectory. This is not the first time EA has done this; Battlefield 6 was made temporarily free to play shortly after the launch of Black Ops 7. Last year, Battlefield 6 was both critically and commercially more successful than Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7, thanks to smart marketing, continued frustration with Call Of Duty, and Battlefield 6 being a better game. However, it quickly lost favour with significant portions of its player base, prompting a sizable update last month that added naval battles and the classic Wake Island map.
Trial Details and Beta Access
The trial can be accessed through Battlefield Redsec, the separate free-to-play battle royale mode. It includes access to the two newest maps – Wake Island and Tsuru Reef – as well as five multiplayer modes for Battlefield 6 and the Battlefield Redsec exclusive Top Gun themed mode, Carrier Strike. The Modern Warfare 4 beta is not free to access; a second beta from August 28 to September 1 will be available on all platforms, including Nintendo Switch 2, unlike the first one. Activision is encouraging participation by stacking the beta with multiplayer modes and, for the first time ever, including a mission from the single-player campaign.
Pressure on Both Franchises
Modern Warfare 4 faces pressure to make up for Black Ops 7's failings, but Battlefield 6 also faces challenges. Despite EA acknowledging that Battlefield 6 met 'all milestones for a high quality launch,' employees across all four of the game's development studios were laid off, while CEO Andrew Wilson received a sizable bonus. EA's recent acquisition by a group of private investors, including Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, has saddled the company with $20 billion of debt, which it intends to recoup with 'organisational efficiencies.' This is expected to lead to more layoffs and further prioritisation of financially lucrative games like Battlefield 6 and EA Sports FC 27.
