Battlefield 6 developer reveals how player feedback shaped the addition of a massive fan favorite map in Season 3 — 'The worst error we can make as a dev is to drink our own Kool-Aid' | Tech Radar
Overview
News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
Details
Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards.
Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.
Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.
Battlefield 6 developer reveals how player feedback shaped the addition of a massive fan favorite map in Season 3 — 'The worst error we can make as a dev is to drink our own Kool-Aid'
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Battlefield 6 is getting its biggest map yet as part of the Season 3 launch today
Railway to Golmud is a reimiagining of the Battlefield 4 map Golmud Railway
"Everyone was excited about having the opportunity to bring that iconic map back to Battlefield 6," a developer said
Battlefield 6 Season 3 arrives today and introduces a wealth of new content, including the biggest map the game has seen so far.
Railway to Golmud is an expansive reimaging of the fan-favorite Golmud Railway from Battlefield 4. Although it will be very familiar to long-time series fans, the map's setting has been moved from rural China to Tajikistan in order to more closely tie in with the most recent game's narrative, and the layout has been subtly tweaked.
In a recent interview with Tech Radar Gaming, executive producer Philippe Ducharme explained that the map's inclusion and these changes were driven by player feedback. He described fans crying out for larger maps back at launch, calling them "part of the DNA" of the series.
Battlefield 6 is getting its 'biggest map' in response to player feedback, developer says it's 'nearly four times the size of Mirak Valley'
Battlefield 6 Season 2 is all about 'delivering the bread and butter of the game' — but is it enough to bring players back?
Battlefield 6 producer says Season 2 is 'the foundation' for future seasons and believes it will bring back players who may have left after Season 1's extension — 'I think this is going to be the strongest season'
"It was important to be able to bring one of the favorites that delivers that all-out warfare experience in a super large size map with a long range of engagement," he said.
"But also places where you can have close-quarter combat zones, or some sections to really go into the close-distance encounters in places like the village. For us, Golmud was checking these boxes and, when we looked at it with the team, everyone was excited about having the opportunity to bring that iconic map back to Battlefield 6."
The map has been tested extensively in Battlefield Labs with "very positive" overall feedback, but a few pain points that needed to be ironed out in order to make it work well in Battlefield 6.
"We revisited the terrain, for instance, to have a little bit more of a hilly terrain, not to have the super long sight lines everywhere. We have more coverage to try to balance out long-term engagements and provide a little bit more of an opportunity to hide from those pesky snipers," he revealed.
The team also received complaints that the airspace was too limited from players who like to pilot vehicles, which resulted in it being expanded.
Ducharme added that the team is always on the lookout for feedback and carefully monitors player data in order to detect problems.
"The worst error we can make as a dev is to drink our own Kool-Aid and say, 'yeah, it's all right. People are just complaining,' he argued. "We have to keep an open mind."
"When there are complaints, our job is to look at data and make sure they are justified," he added. "There's feedback that's always louder, but we want to validate it with data to make sure that it's not just the loud players that are coming out on top."
Battlefield 6 is available now for Play Station 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC.
Follow Tech Radar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.
Dash is an experienced tech journalist who specializes in video games, electronic entertainment products, and the wider industry that surrounds them. He currently serves as the Gaming Editor at Tech Radar, leading our review, preview, feature, and news coverage of the latest and greatest releases.
Before joining the team, he was Contributing Writer at PLAY (formerly Official Play Station Magazine UK) and has written articles for many of the UK's other biggest gaming magazines including the likes of Edge, PC Gamer, and SFX.
Now, when he's not getting his greasy little mitts on the newest hardware or gaming gadget, he can be found listening to J-pop or feverishly devouring the latest Nintendo Switch otome.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
1i OS 26.5 brings cross-platform encrypted RCS messaging, but there’s catch
2 Forza Horizon 6 leak isn't a pre-load bug, but bans are coming for pirates
3I played my favorite game of all time on the PS Portal — here are 3 things I loved about the experience, and 3 things that could've been better
4 The Punisher: One Last Kill director on if Frank Castle will ever star in his own Marvel movie
5 White House National Economic Council Director says AI isn’t causing job cuts
Tech Radar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.
Key Takeaways
- News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
- Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
- Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards
- Unlock instant access to exclusive member features
- Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards
