Battlefield 6: All game modes explained

All of Battlefield 6’s game modes seeks to deliver a storm of high-energy, destructive warfare. And since the first beta weekend, we’ve learned how several of these game modes work. With Battlefield 6 now released, all of these modes are available and offer a range of different ways to win and “play the objective”.

With that core Battlefield requirement securely installed in the code, BF6’s game modes can deliver hours upon hours of enjoyable, explosive gameplay. Beyond a the single-player campaign and an as-yet-unseen Battle Royale mode, this multiplayer’s variety provides an intriguing mix of large and small-scale battles. Let’s take a look.

Below are all of the core Battlefield 6 game modes available at launch. However, this pool is set to increase throughout the Battlefield 6 Season 1 Roadmap and beyond. New and time-limited modes will be part of the long-term strategy for BF6, and this list will be updated and revised periodically. For now, we’ve also added the modes we know arrive in Season 1.

Conquest is one of the classic Battlefield game modes, and the home of all-out warfare across large-scale maps with 64 players, 32 to each team. Here, snipers can take up embedded positions with vehicles available for movement around the battlefield. Tanks, jets, helicopters, and machine-gun-mounted off-road vehicles are available. 

This is a mode where matches usually take 20-40 minutes. Teams need to capture and hold the majority of the six flags, labelled from A to F. One team’s HQ is near A, and the other is near F, meaning you’re guaranteed a head-on collision in the early game. That’s before tactical holding and reinforcing of points, and desperate attempts to sneak past to unguarded flags to turn the tables can be attempted.

In Conquest, both teams start with 1,000 points, and capturing and holding flags depletes the other team’s points. Ultimately, despite the chaos on the battlefield, the objective is to reduce the enemy team’s points to zero, which is why flag-holding and strategic plans to capture them are key. Spawn on flags you hold…or squad members when they’re out of combat, and get those flags back with the vehicles that come with them.

Battlefield 6 has both open-weapon and closed-weapon conquest options, the latter restricting specific weapons to classes (like sniper rifles for the Recon class). The open-weapon option removed this restriction, meaning you could, for example, snipe as the Support class if you wanted. It’s unclear if both options will make it to full release.  

Escalation is a mode that adds extra variety to large-scale warfare in Battlefield 6. If Conquest feels lacking in pace and urgency, then this mode is worth dipping into. Two teams of 32 fight on a large-scale battlefield, with captured points progressing your team towards claiming a “territory”. The idea may seem similar to Conquest, but there’s one key difference. 

When teams capture territory, points are removed from the map, essentially distilling more potent combat as engagements divert to fewer areas of the map. Meanwhile, each team must claim three territories to win. So, if you’re down two territories to zero, you’ll have a smaller selection of points to try to get a foothold in and to claim the majority of.

A 20-40 minute game mode, Escalation features vehicles for added threat. However, the key here is that the battlefield changes as the mode progresses. This somewhat dynamic renewal of focus and tactics makes it a far less static experience than Conquest, and a more urgent, larger game mode as it progresses. A strong addition for Battlefield 6.

A highlight mode for many players in the beta, Breakthrough is another ‘large-scale’ mode where select vehicles are available. Here, two teams of 24 battle each other as teams fight to control two flags at the same time. If the attackers gain control, their numbers are boosted. But if the defenders can keep one flag, the attackers can be thwarted. 

As the defenders attempt to hold off the advancing team, the attackers’ numbers become depleted, and should they reach zero, the defenders win. However, this tense and dramatic game mode requires relentless attempts to attack and defend during the 20 to 40-minute game time. 

For the attackers, a last-ditch assault can capture two flags with the defenders pushed back to defend two further points against a refreshed attacking team. The ultimate goal for the attackers is to push through to the enemy base, meaning smoke, covering fire, and coordinated teamwork are essential in splitting and supporting advances. 

Although this mode was largely ‘open-weapons’ in the beta, a closed-weapon Breakthrough mode was also made available during the second weekend of the BF6 beta.

The final ‘large-scale’ (but it isn’t really) mode available for Battlefield 6, Rush pits two teams of 12 against each other, where the focus is on ‘securing’ progressive M-Com points, which attackers need to reach and plant a bomb to destroy. Both points A and B need to be destroyed before progression to the next points, as the defenders attempt to protect and defuse.

This game mode is a classic for Battlefield, but 12v12 is a smaller-scale environment than many fans are used to, despite the ‘large-scale’ maps BF6 uses for the shifting Rush warfare. For those keen on Rush from older BF titles, 24 players is small, missing the point of the hectic, large-scale warfare (and ALL vehicles!) used to reach the objectives. Yes, all vehicles, including jets.

Briefly, this writer has vivid memories of being taken by helicopter to deploy, parachute, smoke the life out of an M-Com, cut the parachute, and land into smoky mayhem to attempt to plant a bomb…which was super rewarding when it paid off. BF6 Rush follows the same theory, but is very much ground-based, with smaller teams at the time of this article. Fun and chaotic, but for some players, it misses some…scale.

A small-scale multiplayer Battlefield 6 mode, Domination is a 16-player (8v8) game mode where three flags, A, B, and C, are fought over, without the support of vehicles. Essentially, it’s a cut-down and more intensely focused Conquest-type mode in that way, with non-stop action and reflexes favoured more than slower-paced tactical thinking. 

Unlike Conquest, you can respawn immediately upon death, ramping up the pace as you attempt to hold the majority of the flags and reach the 200-point goal first. The more flags you have, the quicker the points go up, but if you have no flags, you’re in trouble; your points won’t increase until you capture one. 

This desperation can lead to frenetic and relentless assaults in a game mode designed to be quick to jump in and out of, given the speed of the matches. Certainly, Domination is one for FPS fans who prefer things fast and furious, but it’s not the only mode designed this way, since there are three more left on our list. 

Imagine Domination, but with one moving flag. That’s King of the Hill, and it’s the most singularly-focused multiplayer mode available in Battlefield 6. There are no vehicles here, and once again, it’s two teams of eight fighting for victory. KOTH provides a singular flag, which will deliver one point per second when it’s not contested. If it is contested, all points are paused. 

That flag will remain in place for one minute before transporting itself to another nearby location, where the same can happen again. If your team fails to capture the flag at all, you don’t get any points, and if you or the enemy team is the only team gaining points, you’ll be winging your way to the 250 points requirement far quicker. 

This makes securing and clearing the active flag essential in this BF6 game mode, and it’s unlikely you’ll have to look far for enemies, given the concentrated nature of the gameplay. Not one for players preferring larger-scale warfare, where you can move around a map at will. Conversely, it is certainly a mode where a quick blast of action and adrenaline is guaranteed. 

One of the modes more familiar to Call of Duty converts, and FPS players new to the Battlefield experience. There’s little surprising here, because you need to kill more players than your opponents to win. It’s a fast-paced game for quick-fire fans. 

Each team needs to reach 100 kills before the other to claim victory. That’s not a lot of kills when there are 16 players in a pure infantry mode, and you may be surprised how quickly those kills rack up. A quick burst of action, Team Deathmatch lasts around 10-15 minutes, and there are no vehicles for tactical advantage. 

The key here is to ensure you check your corners, always stay alert, and spot enemies for your teammates while attempting to take them out yourself. Definitely a game mode in which to try new infantry loadouts outside of the practice range. And an option that quickly reminds this writer why they largely stick to less…condensed BF6 game modes.

Similar to Team Deathmatch, and with the same number of players, this time you only have three allies, instead of 15. Four squads of four fight each other, as this multi-enemy BF6 mode drives the action with intense multi-directional firefights. Each squad needs to reach 50 kills before the other three to claim the win. 

As with Team Deathmatch, this mode has no vehicles, and the action takes place on a small-scale map designed to keep you on your toes. Enemy squad spawns will change based on your map position, so you really need to keep your wits about you. Naturally, it can be best to stick with your squad and move as a unit. 

With a squad focus in mind, this is a solid game mode to jump into with friends for comms-up gameplay. Squad Deathmatch is perhaps the most chaotic game mode Battlefield 6 has available: If speedy, intense firefights are where you find your fun, then definitely give it a look. There’s no sitting back in an anti-aircraft here. 

As with other FPS titles, new and rotated game modes are likely something that Battlefield 6 players will become familiar with. The Season 1 roadmap will deliver two new modes (listed in the table above), one of which will be a limited-time mode for players to enjoy. That being the case, expect the available modes to change throughout the title’s lifespan. 

Further, if the above modes aren’t quite delivering the experience that you want, there is another option. Jump into the ‘Community’ tab of the Battlefield 6 menus, where you can find custom experiences and servers created by the community. Formerly known as ‘Portal’, Community modes offer fresh perspectives, with XP gained for progression, too.

With eight total Battlefield game modes at launch, beyond the Campaign mode, there is plenty to enjoy in BF6. From small-scale, infantry-only modes to larger and progressive tactical, team-based, and vehicle-supporting warfare, there’s a lot to dive into and enjoy. 

There will be more modes arriving in future seasons, too. 

While too many options may be a possibility, with BF6 needing to focus on quality and balance, for now, it’s a great time to find the game mode that suits your mood or play style. An active Community option with custom experiences is also available, and there’ll be a Battle Royale…at some point. More large game modes? This writer hopes so.