EA has unleashed a new twist on the battle royale genre with Battlefield REDSEC, but it hasn’t been met with the warmest reception. Players of the Battlefield 6 base game are expressing their discontent through a wave of “Mostly Negative” reviews on Steam.
For PC gamers curious about this standalone Battlefield offering, which launched for free on both PC and consoles yesterday, the response on Steam is overwhelmingly negative. At the article’s time of writing, a mere 35% of REDSEC user reviews on Steam were favorable, with an only slightly better 39% positivity rate across all languages, earning the game a dark red, Mostly Negative label.
Community Discontent
The backlash against Battlefield’s latest battle royale experiment comes amidst ongoing dissatisfaction from Battlefield 6 players. The launch of Season 1 just yesterday has amplified calls for changes, with criticism spilling over into REDSEC, even though the two games are technically distinct.
Despite being separate, Battlefield 6 and REDSEC are intertwined through shared challenges, cosmetics, and battle pass unlocks. This connection has caused frustration, particularly when Battlefield 6 challenges require participation in the battle royale mode.
“I wouldn’t hate it so much if I wasn’t forced to play it for challenges in the main game,” reads one negative Battlefield REDSEC Steam review. “But I am. So I do.”
Players have also expressed discontent over challenges that offer significant Battlefield 6 battle pass XP being tied to REDSEC, with some using Steam reviews to highlight broader issues like multiplayer map sizes.
Map Size Controversy
Ever since the August beta tests, Battlefield 6 players have been clamoring for larger multiplayer maps. The launch on October 10 only added to the outcry, as the available maps fell short of community expectations. Some negative Steam reviews even praise REDSEC’s exclusive battle royale map, Fort Lyndon, leading to the question: Why does the free-to-play game boast the map sizes that premium players desire?
“Oh wow a nice big map with lots of POIs and flanks,” one negative REDSEC review remarks. “If only we could get something like this for the main game.”
“It’s trying to be too much all at once,” another Steam user review adds. “The map in this Battle Royale is so good it’s criminal that it’s not being used for Conquest right now.”
Challenges and Future Updates
While Battlefield 6 players voice their concerns through REDSEC reviews, some feedback actually pertains to the new standalone experience itself. Many responses are positive, appreciating how BF Studios fuses classic Battlefield mechanics with elements from other battle royales like Call of Duty: Warzone. The launch also triggered a surge in activity, with Steamdb reporting a 24-hour peak of 549,766 Battlefield 6 players yesterday.
REDSEC, featuring Gauntlet and Portals modes alongside its battle royale offering, is earning affection from the Battlefield community, yet it still feels incomplete to many. A lack of a solo queue option and battle royale fatigue are frequently mentioned in reviews.
“No solo Mode… When will they learn the overwhelming majority of players play solo?” a negative review questions. “It doesn’t feel good to play with randoms against premade coordinated squads.”
“Fun update, the battle pass is not half bad,” a positive review observes. “Only problem with me is not having a solo battle royal mode.”
With only 24 hours since REDSEC’s release, ongoing updates promise to bring shared experiences between REDSEC and Battlefield 6, including new maps and weapons set for November and December. Season 1 debuted yesterday, featuring the new Blackwell Fields multiplayer map.
EA has been responsive to player feedback in the past, with recent updates introducing fixes for controversial skins and lighting effects that have been a distraction since the game’s launch. Meanwhile, some players have found creative ways to pass the time, such as using their Engineer repair tool to create art on walls.