Play Battlefield 6 for free for one week

Battlefield 6 will be free to play for a limited time next week. From March 17th to 24th, players can get a taste of the new version by downloading and playing Battlefield RedSec, a free-to-play battle royale mode, during the trial period.

The free trial includes three different playlists with a variety of game modes. The “Nightfall” playlist offers classic modes like Team Deathmatch, which are played in the dark and therefore require night vision goggles. “All-Out Warfare” includes some of Battlefield 6’s traditional objective-based modes, while “Casual Breakthrough” is aimed at new players and offers matches with a large number of bots as both teammates and opponents.

EA lays off an unknown number of Battlefield 6 developers

This free period comes at a turbulent time for Battlefield 6 and its developers. As IGN reports, EA laid off an unspecified number of employees at Criterion, Dice, Ripple Effect, and Motive Studios earlier this week, all operating under the Battlefield Studios developer label. “We have made targeted changes within our Battlefield organization to better align our teams with the needs of our community,” EA explained in a statement.

These layoffs occurred despite the huge success of Battlefield 6 – the game sold over seven million copies within three days of its release and became the best-selling game of 2025, even ahead of the latest Call of Duty, Black Ops 7.

However, player interest has waned in recent months. According to SteamDB charts, the only publicly available player figures, five months after launch, when player numbers on Steam peaked at almost 750,000 concurrent players, only a fraction of the original number remain active.

Even the most recent reviews are not exactly positive, which has led to a rather mixed player ratings on Steam. “I would really like to give a positive review and will continue to play it, but I wish the team would focus on developing maps and permanent content instead of time-limited stuff that has no lasting impact on the game or its mechanics,” reads a recent review. Players are criticizing the Battle Pass, the – as one suspects – AI-generated cosmetics and especially the small size of the maps.

Anyone who wants to try the game themselves can do so starting Tuesday, March 17th, at 11:00 AM EDT, according to a countdown on the Activision website. Here are all the details about the available game modes:

Nightfall

Includes Team Deathmatch, Squad Deathmatch, and Domination. This playlist is all about hunting in the dark. Squads will need night vision goggles or other attachments to illuminate the darkness.

Includes the new map “Hagental Base”.

All-Out Warfare

Includes the popular “Conquest” mode, the intense frontline combat of “Breakthrough,” and the “Escalation” mode, which was introduced with the worldwide launch of Battlefield 6. In this mode, the battle escalates over time through redefined map boundaries and additional vehicles.

This playlist contains four maps: two from Season 2 – “Contaminated” and “Hagental Base”, which will be released with the Nightfall update – as well as “Eastwood” from Season 1 and “Mirak Valley” from the first rotation.

Casual Breakthrough

A more relaxed entry point into Battlefield 6, where you still make progress and complete challenges. Perfect for new players or anyone looking for a less intense gaming experience than a full PvP playlist.

Smaller player teams: 16 real players (8 per team) with 32 bot team members/opponents (16 per team)

Includes three maps: Hagental Base, Contaminated and Eastwood