DICE's Battlefield 6 will reportedly take players to a near-future setting and see a new generation of weaponry when it launches later in 2021, similar to 2012's Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. According to reports and rumors, it sounds like Battlefield 6 will stay true to its roots with its core gameplay but will take a leap forward in terms of setting and scale.
Publisher EA has already confirmed that Battlefield 6 will release later this year and gave vague teases as to what exactly the new entry would feature. Outside of hyping up the large scale of the shooter, EA hasn't confirmed a setting for the game. That said, many believe that EA and DICE will return to a modern-day setting following a lackluster reception to Battlefield V, which returned to World War II. New rumors seem to suggest that there may be some truth to that line of thinking.
As discovered by ResetEra users, reputable Battlefield 6 leaker Tom Henderson noted that the new entry, which he claims is simply titled "Battlefield," will take place about 10 years from now and use in-development military technology, ranging from drones to Boston Dynamics-like robots. Henderson claims the campaign will also depart from its typical linear single-player narrative, instead featuring a co-op story with different story paths. Players will reportedly be a part of a special unit that can be recruited by two of the world's two superpowers, USA and Russia. It's not clear if this will lead to different endings or if there will be drastic differences in how the story unfolds depending on the choices of the player. All of this should be taken with a grain of salt as it's purely rumors right now, but a reveal is planned for this spring which should showcase the scale of Battlefield 6.
The actual reveal of Battlefield 6 is expected for May, according to Henderson, but it won't feature any gameplay right off the bat. It sounds as if EA will first give players a glimpse of the game in a cinematic trailer, with gameplay being shown at a later date - possibly a summer event like EA Play. EA has already noted that the alpha for Battlefield 6 will be available sooner than previous titles in the series, which would mean a playable alpha could be released as soon as June.
Whether or not a near-future setting and robots will appease those hoping for a traditional modern-day setting for Battlefield, it sounds as though EA isn't having as knee-jerk of a reaction as some may have feared after Battlefield V. Even though the publisher is heavily hyping the game and is investing a lot of time, talent, and money into it, it sounds like there's still a push to make Battlefield 6 new and fresh rather than a rehash of the franchise's greatest hits.
Battlefield 6 will be available in 2021.
Source: Tom Henderson (via ResetEra)