Here’s How Battlefield 6 Will Use Skill-Based Matchmaking

Later this week, Battlefield 6’s first open beta is set to begin and it’s already hit 10,000 concurrent players on one platform despite the servers not being live. Players are apparently eager to get their hands on the game, but there are still questions about how much of a factor skill-based matchmaking will be in online play. According to EA, skill will be a factor in determining matchups, but not the deciding one.

CharlieIntel was told by an EA rep that Battlefield 6’s matchmaking will be focused on a player’s location, ping, server availability, and “some skill factor.” However, the matchmaking factors will be different for each mode and player counts.

Earlier this month, Battlefield 6 producer Alexia Christofi noted that the primary feedback that her team has received about server browsers include a desire for “persistent servers, a sense of community and a way to play together, being able to choose specific maps/modes, being able to filter by ping/server fullness, [and] support for low pop regions.” Christofi has previously stated that cross-play can be toggled on and off, and that console players and PC players will largely be kept apart unless players are needed to fill a lobby.

Based on the available information, MP1st speculates that Conquest mode may “prioritize matchmaking based on server fullness.” However, any ranked or competitive matches would likely be determined more by skill than by location. If so, Battlefield 6’s matchmaking will likely be very similar to previous titles in the franchise. But until EA shares more info about it, this remains conjecture for now.

The first Battlefield 6 open beta is scheduled for August 7 in its early-access stage before opening up to everyone on August 9. The game’s full release will follow on October 10 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Strangely enough, Battlefield 6’s only competition on that day is Barbie Horse Trails, which has led some GameSpot staffers to jokingly refer to the shared release date as Barbiefield.