Battlefield 6 has been well received by fans overall, but many are still not entirely satisfied with the map selection. Season 1 aims to change that.
Battlefield 6 was released just two weeks ago, and already a lot has changed. XP limits have been significantly reduced, but on the other hand, farming servers have been shut down. Dice is planning lots more adjustments, but for now, it’s moving forward with a slew of new content.
Season 1 begins on October 28, 2025, and we’ve already played the new maps in advance. Both are sure to delight fans of large-scale conquest battles, but we’re not entirely satisfied with the first season yet.
What did we play? We got to try out both new maps for about three hours together with other journalists and influencers, playing Conquest and Escalation.
Three of the five new weapons from Season 1 (carbine, sniper rifle, and pistol) and the new vehicle were also included.
Lots of oil, little bang
The first new map, Blackwell Oil Fields, will be released on October 28. Here, we fight in an industrial environment around warehouses and small outposts surrounded by numerous oil pumps. Some of them are on fire, and we have to be careful not to get caught in burning oil spills.
The first thing you notice about Blackwell is its unique atmosphere. The map is caught in an eternal sunset that bathes everything in a golden light, against which the clouds of smoke and the forest of pumping stations stand out gloomily. Apart from that, however, the design is unspectacular: Blackwell consists of a barren, hilly landscape with little more than a few interchangeable industrial buildings.
At least this means there is plenty of space to maneuver tanks. Blackwell is a true all-out warfare map with vehicles, helicopters, and jets. It offers significantly more space than Siege of Cairo or Iberian Offensive, but is not quite as large as Mirak Valley. Similar to the other maps in Battlefield 6, the capture points are relatively close to each other and can be reached quite quickly on foot. If you position yourself skillfully, you can fire at several points from one location as a sniper or tank driver on the fairly open map.
As you can see, Blackwell looks great, but it’s hardly noticeable in terms of gameplay. For example, we can’t blow up any pumping stations, and the oil drilling theme isn’t particularly relevant to the map design itself. However, if you like the large maps in Battlefield 6, you’ll most likely enjoy Blackwell as well. Things get more interesting with the second map, which will be released later.
War between pools and sun loungers
Eastwood contrasts sharply with Blackwell and the other maps in Battlefield 6. Here, we find ourselves in the middle of an affluent California suburb, where tank tracks and helicopter fire (there are no jets here) destroy chic single-family homes with spacious gardens and pools. The rolling hills of a golf course rise up at the southern edge of the map, and a swanky villa stands in the center. >
Eastwood is visually different and does not disappoint in terms of gameplay: for one thing, the map can be completely reduced to rubble. The large residential buildings collapse completely except for a few foundation walls, and trees, hedges, and fences are no great obstacle for our tanks anyway. Only a few walls and part of the villa in the center of the map can withstand the bombardment. Compared to the apartment blocks in Brooklyn and the building shells in Cairo, the destruction here is much more comprehensive, and we rarely find ourselves facing a wall that we can’t tear down.
Eastwood leaves a lot of open space, which also applies to movement across the map: we jump over hedges, run and drive along streets, alleys, or through gardens and backyards. There are many paths to the next destination, and there are no bottlenecks during conquest or escalation.
Those who found Battlefield 6 too hectic so far may also feel more comfortable with Eastwood. At least during the preview event, we got the impression that there are more breaks between battles. The capture points are not quite as close together and are clearly separated from each other.
Overall, Eastwood is the much more promising map for us. It stands out more clearly from the Battlefield 6 map pool and is also more enjoyable to play than Blackwell. It even has its own Easter egg vehicle in the form of the golf cart. Speaking of vehicles and weapons, we also tried out the new toys that Season 1 has to offer.
Unspectacular, but present
On October 28, the first chapter of Season 1 will see the release of three new weapons, which we’ve already had a chance to try out. All three fit in well with the existing selection, but don’t really stand out either:
- Mini Scout: A sniper rifle that is designed to allow scouts to play more aggressively thanks to increased mobility. We shoot and aim faster, but have to accept lower damage in return. However, a headshot is still enough for a guaranteed kill.
- SOR-300C: The carbine version of the SOR-556 assault rifle. High damage, low rate of fire, noticeable recoil. The weapon takes out enemies quickly, but is difficult to control at medium ranges.
- GGH-22: A standard semi-automatic pistol whose performance does not differ significantly from other weapons in its class.
The new vehicle is also unspectacular, but more exciting. The Traverser MK2 is a lightly armored troop transporter that protects an entire squad from small-caliber fire. With it, we can race quickly from one point to the next without fear of snipers.
But the Traverser can do even more: there is a machine gun mounted on the roof, which can also be replaced by a grenade launcher. In addition, the Traverser can repair itself, heal passengers, deactivate mines, or block visibility with smoke. Even though enemy tanks can easily destroy it, the vehicle provides valuable support and can take on entire infantry squads.
So much for our preview of Season 1. We haven’t been able to play some of the new content yet, such as the winter version of Empire State, two additional weapons, or the two new game modes for small teams.
Even now, the first season looks like a solid package that meaningfully expands Battlefield 6. It won’t fundamentally change the shooter, but we’ll get new choices in maps, weapons, and modes, which never hurts in a Battlefield game. Still, Season 1 can only be the first step: many more maps and weapons should follow to make the shooter a monster in scope like Battlefield 4.
Editor’s conclusion
When Season 1 was announced, I was just glad that Battlefield 6 was starting to deliver new content early enough. After playing it, I’m also satisfied: the new maps deliver great conquest battles, which is exactly what I expect from a Battlefield game in the first place. Eastwood, with its unusual setting, could even become one of my favorite maps in Battlefield 6. I was also pleasantly surprised by the Traverser Mark 2, which can be extensively customized and is of high tactical value when used skillfully.
Nevertheless, I hope that the next seasons of Battlefield 6 will be even stronger. Maybe we’ll get more extraordinary maps or remakes of classic maps. Above all, I would like to see more weapons that break the mold:
I want a fully automatic pistol, a mini shotgun as a sidearm, a semi-automatic sniper rifle, or perhaps an assault rifle specialized in burst fire. Season 1 remains very tame with its new weapons so far, and the developers could be more daring.
