Combat Ready: Intel Optimizes Battlefield 6

Your go-to for guts and glory since 2002, the storied Battlefield franchise accounts for a full five billion of global gaming hours to date, with over 100 million players across the series. Publishers Electronic Arts summoned veterans back to active duty this month with their Open Beta for the highly anticipated Battlefield 6, and though the game doesn’t fully release until October 10th, already thousands of recruits are anxiously awaiting deployment, hanging out in the beta main menu exchanging ideas of what they might face (and yes, we are visualizing that as a landing craft heading for Omaha Beach type situation; aren’t you?). Also this month, EA and Intel announced their exciting, full PC partnership for Battlefield 6, which means significant collaboration between Intel and EA to optimize Battlefield 6 for Intel® Core™, Intel Core Ultra, and Intel® Arc™-powered PCs and handhelds, including support for Intel technologies such as Intel® Xe Siêu lấy mẫu 2 (XeSS 2). In other words, boosted frame-rates and fluidity with no trade-off in visual quality and game responsiveness, because on the field of battle, someone’s got to have your back.

“Battlefield 6 is an incredible showcase for what gamers can do on an Intel-powered system,” Nicolas Thibieroz, senior director of game engineering at Intel, affirms. “We’re honored to be working with EA to help deliver an experience worthy of the Battlefield franchise. Bringing Intel features like XeSS 2 to Battlefield 6 at launch means players are going to get the best experience when they game on an Intel-powered system.” Christan Buhl, studio technical director at EA, adds: “Battlefield 6 represents an all-new level of ambition and dedication to the franchise and to our players’ experience. Intel have been incredible partners to work with when it comes to building the best possible experience for our Intel PC players when they experience All Out Warfare this October.” Let us brief you on what to expect.

 Whose Side Are You On

It’s 2027; NATO has crumbled and the world is grappling with the fallout from the destruction of the old order. The remnants of NATO are the US, the United Kingdom, and Egypt, who have banded together as the last vestiges of stability and order. A shadowy coalition force of well-funded and wholly unaccountable private military interests, known as Pax Armata, threatens this alliance, which is the only thing holding back the chaos. Welcome to Battlefield 6.

The plot tees up a classic confrontation between honor and greed, duty and corruption, and what’s great is that you can choose sides. You can play as NATO, an army driven by duty and honor, or play as Pax Armata, a corporation with deep pockets and an insatiable greed for power. Defenders of the free world or ruthless mercenaries? It’s your call. For brand-new recruits who have never played, there’s an onboarding process. Your weaponry includes tanks, jets, and helicopters, and you can practice flying solo before heading into battle in Conquest Initiation or Breakthrough Initiation. The initiation stages are as intense as the upper levels, but it’s a learning environment where bots are your drill sergeants.  

Class of 2027

 Chosen your side? Now choose your role. Battlefield’s class system encourages you to fulfil a specific role in the fight. It’s a returning feature, but new for Battlefield 6 are the training options that unlock additional traits earned in battle. As well as the deep customization system that allows players to use signature weapons that lean into their role, those who play the objective are rewarded with an active ability to turn the tide of war. An Assault role is as it sounds, the ultimate frontline fighter. Engineer makes you a menace to enemy vehicles, a miracle worker for your own. Support means you protect and supply, keeping the frontline moving forward. Recon—you’re an expert at counterintelligence, and a deadly marksman.

 Peek Performance

Battlefield’s new Kinesthetic Combat System is designed to give you more control over your mobility and the tactical options during the heat of battle. All new options for Battlefield 6 include Drag and Revive, which lets you drag a squadmate out of the firefight, while reviving them. It’s got a definite Saving Private Ryan vibe—you feel the weight of that drag. Peek and Lean lets you peek around corners to spy on the enemy without being exposed. Limit fall damage and increase your chances of dodging enemy fire with Combat Rolls; decrease recoil by Mounting Weapons on cover; and Hitch a Ride allows you take on more players in your vehicle than you have seats, for that last-chopper-out feeling. As part of the Kinesthetic Combat System, reliable recoil patterns and well-defined weapon ranges help players learn and react in real-time. Intel and EA have been working closely to fine-tune Battlefield 6 on both Intel Core and Core Ultra processors. This includes scheduler optimizations which ensure the game processes are running on the right threads, at the right time, to ensure a smooth player experience.

With new systems, weapons and abilities, performance is more important than ever; the bar has been raised on every aspect of the game. EA has spoken of Battlefield 6 being a return to the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 era in terms of excellence, identity, and the way the destructive experience connects to the player, but in all senses Battlefield 6 is a progression. The visuals and mechanics of destruction have been elevated, the new Escalation mode ratchets up the tension as it reduces options, drawing on the player’s full arsenal in a thrilling test of strategy, ingenuity, and teamwork… But we should leave you something to discover in October—and as much as we’ve said here, there is still plenty more to come. Battlefield 6 launches in the EA app on October 10th, and you can find out how to access the Open Beta here. Lock and load, gamers. 

Pre-purchase Battlefield 6 on Steam.