Battlefield 6 was officially revealed last week, bringing with it several key changes, including a major update to how cross-play works. The game will feature a “preferred input” matchmaking system, where players using controllers (on Xbox and PlayStation) are primarily matched with other controller users. Likewise, PC players using a mouse and keyboard will be grouped. Cross-play between the two input types will only occur when needed to fill lobbies. This new system aims to reduce input-based advantages while still maintaining quick matchmaking.
According to producer Alexia Christofi, the game will prioritize keeping players within their preferred community. It will expand to mix platforms when regional player counts are too low for stable matchmaking. This approach is designed to improve fairness in matches while still ensuring low lags and fast match creation. Cross-play will still be fully toggleable in the settings for players who want more control.
Eyy not quite, it’s crossplay on or off – but if crossplay is on we treat it as console preferred crossplay, so we’ll try and matchmake you with others playing on console before falling back to full crossplay if we can’t find you a match with only/mostly console players.
— Alexia Christofi (@Lex_mate) August 2, 2025
In Battlefield 2042, cross-play between console and PC was fully enabled by default, which led to imbalanced matches, resulting in uneven gameplay experiences. Battlefield 6 builds on this by treating cross-play as a fallback option rather than the default setup.
EA is also addressing questions surrounding skill-based matchmaking (SBMM), which has become a debated feature in modern shooters. In Battlefield 6, EA states (via CharlieIntel) that matchmaking will focus on ping to ensure players are close to servers, while skill will factor into matchmaking to varying degrees, depending on game mode and player count. However, exact details haven’t been fully outlined.
The game will include core features the series is known for, including large-scale battles, class-based squad combat, vehicle warfare, and environmental destruction.
Battlefield 6 launches on October 10, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC, with an open beta beginning on August 9.
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