Battlefield 6 Is “Secretly Console First,” Crossplay with PC Can Be Disabled
With Battlefield 6 just weeks away from its October 10, 2025 release, developers at Ripple Effect Studios are shedding more light on their approach to development and how they are prioritizing the console experience like never before. In a new IGN interview, Technical Director Christian Buhl and Senior Console Combat Designer Matthew Nickerson revealed that this installment was designed with consoles front and center.
Buhl acknowledged that in the past, Battlefield titles were built for PC first and later adapted for consoles, a process that sometimes left the console versions feeling like afterthoughts. With Battlefield 6, that has changed:
“We have to build this game as if it was made primarily for console players. Obviously, we’re still also thinking about PC players, but in the past, frankly, Battlefield was built as a PC game and then ported to console, and it probably felt like that. That is not how this game was built.”
Nickerson echoed the sentiment, revealing a running inside joke at the studio:
“We have a saying here in the office, one I created when I joined the team, called ‘Secretly Console First.’ Console has been at the forefront of Battlefield 6 development since day one, and really, we’re honed and well-crafted in providing this product at the highest quality possible.”
Ripple Effect also confirmed that Battlefield 6 will include crossplay flexibility:
Console vs. Console: Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 players will have crossplay enabled by default.
Optional PC Crossplay: Console players can disable matchmaking with PC users if they want to avoid potential cheating issues.
Matchmaking Priority: Even if crossplay with PC is enabled, the system will first try to match console players with each other, expanding to PC only if necessary.
Improved Aim Assist: Lessons learned from Battlefield 2042 have led to revamped aim assist, ensuring console players feel competitive in crossplay environments.
These changes reflect Ripple Effect’s response to feedback from Battlefield 2042, which faced criticism for technical issues and uneven gameplay experiences across platforms. By committing to console-first development while still supporting PC, the studio aims to unify the player base and deliver a smoother launch.
Do you think prioritizing consoles will help Battlefield 6 avoid the pitfalls of past entries, or should PC always remain the primary platform for the series?
