DICE has 'heard the message very clear' and is now prioritizing larger maps for Battlefield 6, but 'it takes a really long time'

Talk to anyone playing Battlefield 6 about what they'd like in the game right about now, and maps will certainly come up. Folks want more maps in Battlefield 6, but not just any will do—they want large ones with open space, lots of capture points, and support for air vehicles.

Too few of BF6's launch maps checked those boxes, and after months of vaguely saying it's listening to that feedback, DICE is finally saying it will also act on that feedback.

"We don't want to spoil too much yet, but we've heard the message very clear," DICE seasons producer Philipp Girette told PC Gamer on the subject of map feedback. "You've seen recently in Battlefield Labs that we started testing Golmud Railway, one of the older Battlefield maps. That is one of the responses [to that feedback] that we can give there, and the rest is for the future."

DICE has indicated that the Golmud Railway remake has been prioritized specifically to address map size in Battlefield 6—the map won't make the cut for Season 2, but its numerous test periods suggest the team wants it out as soon as possible.

Both Season 2 maps, Contaminated and Hagental Base, were already planned before launch, but DICE producer Kit Eklöf says one actionable change made before Contaminated's launch was its fly zones—the area outside the map where air vehicles are allowed to fly. Playtests in BF Labs revealed they were too small, so DICE widened its fly zones for launch.

I asked DICE if the "bigger is better" approach could trickle down to existing maps that've been criticized for their restrictive, cramped layouts (looking at you, Sobek City). The answer was understandable, but disappointing: the team's priority is the next map they have to make, so don't expect any major developments there.

"For the maps, we try to make changes for the ones that are currently in development," Girette said. "And then we look further ahead, as you said. It takes a really long time to make these maps. We're somewhat, not limited, but we have to be very targeted in what we do…I think we will definitely take a look at the existing maps, but there's nothing we could announce that is going to happen within Season 2."

Even with the resources of four distinct studios across the globe, Battlefield 6 is a large ship that turns slowly. The first wave of Season 2 content is out now, with more coming in March and April.