Battlefield 6 Steam Reviews Drop to Mixed

Recent Battlefield 6 Steam reviews have fallen to 'Mixed,' signaling a significant shift in player sentiment. The game launched on October 10 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, marking the strongest start for the EA franchise in years. However, the months following have presented challenges.

Player numbers are dwindling amid the wait for Season 2. The decline accelerated after the release of the Winter Offensive update in December. Players are pointing to several core issues:

• Bugs and technical glitches
• Aggressive monetization strategies
• Presence of generative AI content

These factors have combined to create the longest rough patch the game has experienced since its release.

The decline in sentiment began in earnest with the release of the final Season 1 chapter, Winter Offensive. This update focused on limited-time, snowy versions of existing multiplayer maps. While the lack of entirely new locations was noted, the technical issues accompanying the update were the primary driver of the downward trend.

The December 9 1.1.3.0 update introduced the Ice Lock event and the Ice Climbing Axe melee weapon. Unfortunately, this release also brought significant technical problems. Users reported a glitchy main menu and game-breaking stuttering issues across PC and consoles. Additionally, there was a subtle but impactful infantry movement nerf that was unintentional.

Battlefield Studios was quick to promise fixes for these issues, even with the impending holiday break. However, the damage to player sentiment was already done. The update proved to be the final crack in the dam holding back displeased fans.

The shift in sentiment is clearly reflected in the review data on Valve's platform. On December 10, one day after the Winter Offensive launch, the game logged 652 negative reviews compared to 474 positive reviews in English. This marked a reversal of the previous trend where favorable scores outweighed negative ones.

In the weeks leading up to the update, Battlefield 6 boasted 'Mostly Positive' reviews in nearly all languages. The exception was Simplified Chinese, which had remained 'Mostly Negative' since late October. Data from SteamDB shows that review positivity reached 69.8% between December 2 and December 8. Following the update, that number fell to 68.4%.

Steam categorizes games with 70% positive ratings as 'Mostly Positive.' Battlefield 6 was on the verge of reclaiming this label before losing momentum. Currently, total reviews in all languages remain 'Mixed.' Specifically, only 53% of the 17,331 reviews from the last 30 days are positive, pushing the score toward 'Mostly Negative.'

Player complaints generally fall into three distinct categories. Since the October launch, calls for larger Conquest maps, bug fixes, and stable gunplay have been constant. Recent reviews, however, have focused heavily on the Winter Offensive update and the game's monetization.

The premium game has been criticized for pop-up windows since release. With the December update seemingly doing more harm than good, players feel the sting of pricey microtransactions more acutely. One user noted the frustration of paying a premium price only to be met with advertisements immediately.

A significant controversy involves the suspected undisclosed use of generative AI. Around December 20, fans noticed a sticker featuring an M4A1 with two barrels that appeared to be AI-generated. This discovery led to another uptick in negative reviews, with players demanding disclosure on the store page and criticizing the quality of AI artwork.

Despite the controversies and technical issues, an interesting trend has emerged among the negative reviews. Many of the most vocal critics are players who have logged hundreds of hours in the game. This suggests that the community is not simply abandoning the title but is deeply invested in its success.

Reviews often express a sense of disappointment rather than outright dismissal. One review summarized this sentiment perfectly: "You know how a game being almost good is in a sense way worse than it just actually being bad? Yeah that's Battlefield 6."

Another user offered a mixed rating, stating, "The gameplay is back, but EA just robbed us (again). Rating: 2/5 stars (5/5 for gameplay, 0/5 for business practices)." These comments highlight a community that enjoys the core gameplay but is frustrated by business decisions and technical execution.