Battlefield 6 Reviews Are Tanking — Can DICE Save It Before Steam Marks It Mixed?

Battlefield 6 launched on a high, then coasted out fast. The weird part? It is not melting down because of bugs or crashes. It is the design. DICE delivered solid gunplay and slick visuals, but the big, messy, open chaos that made Battlefield feel like Battlefield? That is where things are slipping.

The scale problem: when a sandbox feels fenced in

The main complaint echoing around the community is simple: the maps are too small. This series built its reputation on sprawling, vehicle-heavy warzones. BF6 brings the noise, just not the scale. Players have been asking for larger maps since the beta, and the full release still feels boxed in. DICE has tweaked plenty of other things, so it is not like no one is listening. But on the map-size front, it is been a whole lot of wait-and-see.

Portal could be a win, but progression rules kneecap it

Portal was pitched as a love letter to Battlefield history, letting players spin up custom modes and remix old-school fun. Instead, DICE locked progression against bots in Portal. Yes, people will always find a way to farm XP. But rather than shutting off meaningful rewards, they could just throttle XP in those modes. Right now, if you want to play creative or solo setups, you cannot realistically level up or unlock gear. That turns a great idea into a half-useful sandbox.

Players are not mad at the shooting; they are mad at the choices

The fundamentals are not the problem. Gunplay, visuals, and performance are not what is dragging reviews down. It is the design calls that ignore the series' strongest identity: scale and freedom. You can see the impact on Steam, where the recent rating dropped from 76% to 71%, then bounced back to 78% for a bit, but generally hovers in the low 70s. That is brushing up against a Mixed overall tag, which is not where a flagship shooter wants to live.

Season 1 lands tomorrow. Can it turn the ship?

There is a lifeline incoming. Season 1 (Update 1.1.1.0) hits tomorrow with fixes, balancing, and new content. The headline additions are a fresh map and a new mode. Leaks say the map is on the larger side, which would be a smart move, and DICE is talking up more maps and modes on the way.

• New map: Blackwell Fields (rumored to be fairly large)
• New mode: Strikepoint
• Update 1.1.1.0: balance passes and bug fixes

Here is the catch: there is still no mention of lifting Portal progression limits. And while DICE could absolutely address the small-map issue over time by rolling out bigger, more open spaces, there is not a clear signal yet that it is happening at scale. Season 1 looks promising, but it may be a band-aid on a deeper design issue if the core asks are not met.

The bottom line

BF6 has the feel, the look, and the tech. It just needs the room to breathe. Give players space, let Portal actually reward them, and the goodwill will follow. Until then, expect that Steam score to keep wobbling in the 70s. Are the new map and mode enough to win you back? Drop your take below.